In the last couple of weeks, I’ve been enchanted by the theme of crafting. On my vacation I discovered a copy of The Grapes of Wrath in the house and was surprised at how rapt I was. I absolutely plowed through it. I was amazed at how John Steinbeck told a story within a literary texture that makes the reader feel the emotions and circumstances of the characters all the more. Then, this past weekend my husband and I saw The Kids Are All Right. Again, crafting was everywhere. Mark Ruffalo’s character owns an organic Alice Waters style restaurant whose ingredients come from his own organic garden. Then in one scene, Annette Bening’s character tells Mark Ruffalo’s “If you want a family so badly, why don’t you go out and make your own!”
I found comfort in both works around the theme of family. In an age where so much is written about the dissatisfaction that parents feel, it is nice to see an homage to the what is built with years of effort. But the metaphor holds true for whatever life we live. I love to watch a client really discover his or her authentic self, then craft their life around the newly discovered values. Sometimes the change is sudden and immediate, sometimes it is gradual. But I do know that once the client discovers it, to live that life becomes absolutely urgent. A cousin of mine this summer shared a quote, “Tout bonheur est un chef d’oeuvre. It means, “Every happiness is a work of art.” So, like a well-crafted work of art, an authentic life is a thing of beauty.