When clouds hide you, do not despair — They only help you see What matters most for your journey.   A seat not meant for you, A table not made for you — Simply means your place is somewhere else.   Do not rush the clouds to fade away; They are making room For a brighter light to shine. Then you will find your space in the sky — Clear, open, and blue.   Build your life with acceptance, Guide and move yourself To where you truly belong.   One day, in God’s perfect time, You will become the sky that inspires many, Leaving a lasting, undying message Deep within their hearts.

 (Aligned with my gift — this painting) I painted this in a rush, not really knowing what I was doing. I just took the colors blue, green, red, yellow, and orange, and splashed them all over the canvas without thinking about how it looked.   Then I painted flowers on top. Different colors, different shapes, but all one family of daisies.   Those colors behind... they represent all of us. All the different kinds of people, different personalities you met in this parish. We were just a mix of colors, scattered and messy at first.   But you took us exactly as we were, and you uplifted us spiritually. You molded us and guided us until we started to bloom like these flowers.   We are still different from each other, but now we stand together, lifting each other up. We bloom side by side because of you.   It hurts us so much that you are leaving. We want to hold you and keep you here, but we know we cannot. You are being called to the seminary now, to prepare fut...

I planned just a few flowers, simple and neat  But the wind moved the paint, leaving marks at my feet. Yet instead of giving up, I learned something true, A smudge is not the end, but a chance to renew.   I added more colors, more blossoms to grow, Roses and starflowers, in shades bright and slow. What seemed like a flaw became part of the art, A garden now blooming, straight from the heart.   Just like life, when things don’t go as we planned, We can add more beauty, take brush in our hand. Turn what seems imperfect into something new — For smudges can blossom, and beauty shine through. ~ME Helen A. Sarita