Calm in the middle of a storm...

Sometimes the most beautiful, the most remarkable things happen very qiuetly while everyday chaos happens all around them.

That happened in the art group today.

I hope the emotion that I feel about this comes across in what I'm writing, because it is no exaggeration to say that my heart soared when I witnessed this and I have been left 'wobbly lipped' because of it!

The group was very busy today, literally standing room only, in amongst the madness, one member of the group and her support worker sat painting. This in itself may seem unremarkable, but the group member has recently been away for a month to 'detox' and come off medication that she had been taking for a number of years, her doctors said it would be worth the lengthy process and that it would make a real difference to her life.

Today I saw the difference.

In the 7 years I have been working with this wonderful young lady she has always needed intensive support to participate in the groups. Sometimes I have described her as being a 'passive participant', which I believe to be just as important as active participation, to belong, to be welcome, to interact, tell me that's not important.

Today she painted independently.

We squirted poster paint onto paper and she took a brush and without support found the blobs of paint and brushed them in, again and again!

Like I said my heart soared.

I needed to share this with you all so that this important, important achievement wasn't just something that happened at the art group today.

I started these blogs to celebrate the things we do here, daily, weekly, not just the big things, the things that get in the local paper, the everyday extra ordinary things.

This is what it's all about for me, people having the time and the space to just be.