A Blessing

So I “met” this lovely woman on Facebook, much how I’ve met many of y’all. We chat and I feel like I’ve found a new friend. Again, much like y’all in this blogosphere.

A few weeks ago I posted this picture:

My new friend commented that it was a picture of how faith works. That you can’t always see what’s coming around the curve but you trust. And pray. And appreciate the blue skies while you have them, even as storms are approaching.

We met on Facebook because a mutual friend of ours thought we might have lots in common-she suffers from PTSD just like Mr. Wonderful does. And she paints, so she’s Artsy Fartsy like me.

Of course we hit it off.

Then she told me she paints as therapy for her PTSD. And she was painting the picture I had taken a few weeks before when I was at the ladies retreat in Colorado. She had decided she was going to send me her painting as a gift to remind me that PTSD will not win and we aren’t alone.

Isn’t that beautiful?!?

My new friend also drew my attention to a part of my original photograph that I hadn’t even noticed. Up in the upper left hand corner are two trees. She painted those trees in fall colors (because fall is my favorite season) and said that those two trees are like me and Mr. Wonderful–still growing strong even after all we’ve weathered.

My new piece of art came in the mail today: 

 I’m moved to tears that someone that I’ve never even met would take time out of their busy day and paint a gorgeous picture and then take more time and money to mail it to me. As a beautiful reminder about how far we’ve come in our PTSD journey, but also in the kindness and deep humanity of others.

I am so blessed.

You can connect with me on Facebook and Instagram at My Pink Champagne Life or Twitter @MyPinkChampLife. Swing by and say hey!

(Photo credit Meredith Shafer 2015) ©Copyright Meredith Shafer 2015