Recently we took a trip to southern France and visited the small city of Arles in the Provence region. It is a quaint historic city that was once the home of artist Vincent Van Gogh, and inspired several of his paintings. On the tour, I learned that there are two versions of Van Gogh’s famous painting, Starry Night. The most famous one we all know and that is mass produced is the second version, and the original is currently on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Van Gogh painted the second version while he was in the asylum in another rural village in Provence. However, his first version of Starry Night on The Rhône was painted in Arles France. Our tour guide showed us the spot along the Rhône River, with an official marker, where Van Gogh supposedly painted the famous first version. What’s most unique about the view though is that scholars and art historians say that the view of the river and city of Arles is looking one direction south, but the stars and constellations Van Gogh depicts would only be viewed by looking north. Apparently, Van Gogh combined the highlights from a panoramic view into his painting, giving us a different perspective on the view as seen today. It was a reminder to me that often in life, we find beauty, inspiration, and new insights in different perspectives.
I’m reminded of another location often visited since childhood that I’ve looked upon with different perspectives at various points in my life journey. There’s a spot on Lake Lanier in my Georgia hometown where I used to go as a young kid with my dad and uncles for fishing. From the boat ramp and red clay banks of the river you have a scenic view of an island in the center of the lake cove filled with towering green Georgia pines, framed by the tree lined banks of the meandering lakeshore. It was a spot that has always provided me with a sense of peace, inspiration, calm, and gratitude throughout different stages of life. As I became a teenager and started driving, I would often go to this spot on the lake to reflect and seek out different perspectives during emotional times in life. Sometimes it was a happy time when I met someone as a new friend, or was dating someone, or starting a new job, getting my first car etc. Or sometimes it was sad moments when I broke up with someone, had car problems, family challenges, deaths of loved ones, or internal struggles with my own sexual identity. This lake location always helped me find a different perspective and move forward positively. I continue to go to this spot well into my adulthood whenever I’m home, seeking out those new perspectives on challenging emotional times. And when I can’t go there physically, I’ve taken videos and pictures of the location where I can sit quietly and go there virtually to reflect.
There are other locations I also find that provide me with a similar experience to create new awareness and perspectives in challenging times. Right now, as I write this, I am at one of those locations. I’m sitting on a front porch of the West Virginia home of dear friends. We come up here often over the years, mostly during long holiday weekends in early or late summer, spending time with a group of close friends who are our chosen family. I’ve been coming here for over 15 years with my chosen family, sharing good times and bad, encouraging each other, sharing laughs, celebrating, and creating new lasting memories. Each time I come up here I sit on the porch looking out onto the verdant well-kept gently sloping lawn with the view of the blue-hued mountain range in the distance, often framed by misty low lying puffy white clouds in the mornings. This view, similar to the lake view in my hometown, is one I come back to often during different times of life, whether happy or challenging, to reflect, practice gratitude and mindfulness to be in the moment, and seek out new perspectives to help me move forward positively and thrive. No matter what situations life may present, there are things we can’t control, but there are also things we can control, including how we respond. And finding a location or experience that allows me to be in the moment and create new perspectives helps me to identify positive and effective strategies and next steps I can take to more effectively control how I respond to any situation. I’m grateful for these locations like the lake and the West Virginia mountain view from the front porch that inspire me with different perspectives in life. And I’m grateful for my loving husband, family, and chosen family of close friends who journey with me as well in this thing called life. For as the saying goes, we are all just walking each other home. And I enjoy the different perspectives the view along the journey provides.
I encourage you to reflect on your own stories for what locations or experiences help you to find new perspectives in life and identify positive ways to move forward and thrive. And as you work towards your goals, remember that you can always control how you respond to situations. I encourage you to seek out different perspectives that inspire you on the journey because as always, Your Story Matters.
