One of America's most beloved artists was a man named Norman Rockwell. He created over 4,000 paintings, although the greater part of them have been ruined or are in private collections, such as The Peach Cup, which is an original that is now owned by movie director George Lucas and Triple Self-Portrait, a sketch possessed by Steven Spielberg. The Norman Rockwell Museum has its home in Stockbridge, Massachusetts - and is well worth the visiting if you admire his work.
Although it isn't considered by some to be one of his major works, a favorite of mine (whichwe do not own, I'm sorry to say), is A Family Tree, an original oil painting that is featured in a book we own Norman Rockwell, A Sixty Year Retrospective.
Shown on the top of this graphic illustration is a most angelic appearing little boy. Below him, his family tree is spread out underneath him. His parents are shown as a smiling housewife type mother and an austere father. His very first set of grandparents appear to be a solemn darkly skinned cowboy, whose wife is a blond - perchance a lady of the night. The other set of grandparents are resembled as a scholarly "dandy" alongside his well attired wife. It gets even better though. Great Grandpa is a mountain man with a great big bushy beard, his wife a Native American woman; while their contemporaries are puritans, the man that is wearing the clerical collar and with his tough-lady wife. Great-Great Grandfather is shown as a Civil War soldier who comes from the South with an incredulous spouse, the other set being a Civil War soldier who comes from the North with a diffident wife. It goes on until we go forward to quite a roughneck pirate and his equally as rough seeming lady friend.
Bits of DNA and traits from each of those individuals swirled through the family line to bequeath something to the makeup of the child who may look angelic but probably has more than a fraction of the rascal in him, as well.
Rockwell's humor develops throughout this painting, but like his other works, it also contains fascinating glimpses of truth about a slice of American life. We all, American or not, issue forth from a variety of individuals with diverse personalities, occupations, interests and experiences. Whatever mixed together to contribute to what you are today also got all mixed up with experiences and environment. There is enough variety there to allow you to be a unique, wonderful individual.
No matter what your experiences have been - good or bad - you can, if you determine to do so - use them for good. You don't have to be a certain way just because one of your ancestors was like that. Were you abused as a child? Does that mean you have to be abused now - or that you have to abuse others? Absolutely not. Did life keep you from realizing your dreams? So? Everyone has dreams they'll never realize; but everyone who wants to, can have other successes that turn into wonderfully satisfying endeavors.
If you are married, here's something you can do that can bind you closer together. Plan a time with your spouse in a quiet, romantic spot where each of you can share what you know about your respective pasts - the good things - and what dreams you had that might still be possible to achieve. Make up your minds as you do - and in fact, it would be good if you put your arms around each other and vow it - that you will not do anything purposely to prevent either of you from realizing at least one of your dreams. Be sure it isn't one sided; that it is reasonable; it is within reach; financially and practically (if you can't sing, don't aspire to be an opera star) and that above all, that it won't harm the marriage or the family unit. In fact, make plans about how you can encourage one another. You are going to be each other's most sincere fan - the rooting section for your lives. As your children - assuming you have any - see Dad supporting Mom and Mom supporting Dad, they will realize that they aren't the only ones in the universe; and yet they, too, can achieve just as their parents do. That's security for them.
That's why you must have both unity and love within your relationship. And that's why we have books and material for women and men to show you just how to do that. In fact, we are so anxious to assist you in saving your marriage from unhappiness, that we have spent a great deal of our lives producing material to help you achieve it. Go to our site now and get going, so your past won't affect your future except for good.
Margaret Hardisty International Best Selling Author and Speaker Love Relationship Headquarters
Although it isn't considered by some to be one of his major works, a favorite of mine (whichwe do not own, I'm sorry to say), is A Family Tree, an original oil painting that is featured in a book we own Norman Rockwell, A Sixty Year Retrospective.
Shown on the top of this graphic illustration is a most angelic appearing little boy. Below him, his family tree is spread out underneath him. His parents are shown as a smiling housewife type mother and an austere father. His very first set of grandparents appear to be a solemn darkly skinned cowboy, whose wife is a blond - perchance a lady of the night. The other set of grandparents are resembled as a scholarly "dandy" alongside his well attired wife. It gets even better though. Great Grandpa is a mountain man with a great big bushy beard, his wife a Native American woman; while their contemporaries are puritans, the man that is wearing the clerical collar and with his tough-lady wife. Great-Great Grandfather is shown as a Civil War soldier who comes from the South with an incredulous spouse, the other set being a Civil War soldier who comes from the North with a diffident wife. It goes on until we go forward to quite a roughneck pirate and his equally as rough seeming lady friend.
Bits of DNA and traits from each of those individuals swirled through the family line to bequeath something to the makeup of the child who may look angelic but probably has more than a fraction of the rascal in him, as well.
Rockwell's humor develops throughout this painting, but like his other works, it also contains fascinating glimpses of truth about a slice of American life. We all, American or not, issue forth from a variety of individuals with diverse personalities, occupations, interests and experiences. Whatever mixed together to contribute to what you are today also got all mixed up with experiences and environment. There is enough variety there to allow you to be a unique, wonderful individual.
No matter what your experiences have been - good or bad - you can, if you determine to do so - use them for good. You don't have to be a certain way just because one of your ancestors was like that. Were you abused as a child? Does that mean you have to be abused now - or that you have to abuse others? Absolutely not. Did life keep you from realizing your dreams? So? Everyone has dreams they'll never realize; but everyone who wants to, can have other successes that turn into wonderfully satisfying endeavors.
If you are married, here's something you can do that can bind you closer together. Plan a time with your spouse in a quiet, romantic spot where each of you can share what you know about your respective pasts - the good things - and what dreams you had that might still be possible to achieve. Make up your minds as you do - and in fact, it would be good if you put your arms around each other and vow it - that you will not do anything purposely to prevent either of you from realizing at least one of your dreams. Be sure it isn't one sided; that it is reasonable; it is within reach; financially and practically (if you can't sing, don't aspire to be an opera star) and that above all, that it won't harm the marriage or the family unit. In fact, make plans about how you can encourage one another. You are going to be each other's most sincere fan - the rooting section for your lives. As your children - assuming you have any - see Dad supporting Mom and Mom supporting Dad, they will realize that they aren't the only ones in the universe; and yet they, too, can achieve just as their parents do. That's security for them.
That's why you must have both unity and love within your relationship. And that's why we have books and material for women and men to show you just how to do that. In fact, we are so anxious to assist you in saving your marriage from unhappiness, that we have spent a great deal of our lives producing material to help you achieve it. Go to our site now and get going, so your past won't affect your future except for good.
Margaret Hardisty International Best Selling Author and Speaker Love Relationship Headquarters
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