The Celebration of Youth

I believe that each of us are born with a gift, something that would be beneficial for our growth and evolution as a human being. That being said, I think that often our "gifts" are hidden in plain sight! It's something we use or do every day, but miss the significance of it. Many of us don't see them or recognize them because they're something that comes to us with relative ease. I can only speak to what my experiences have taught me, so I will only focus on my writing and painting in this blog.

In The Brezas of Carifa, the Celebration of Youth is a gathering of the island animals, young and old, to see what "gifts" the new generation will bring to the island. It's the Medicine Monkey that determines when these celebrations will take place. In the story, it's Stazuri, a teacher of the young animals, who helps each of her students look for their gift, the treasures hidden within.

I want children who have read—or been read to—The Brezas of Carifa to look for those gifts in themselves and begin to nurture them. I want my book to become a beloved story that encourages a child to read and remember for a lifetime! I want my book to be a part of what stimulates a desire to read more. There seems to be a strong correlation between those who love to read to end up either being writers or working in the industry of writing and publishing. I did a quick Google search, and my theory was confirmed.

I didn't learn to enjoy reading until I was an adult. The books I was forced to read in school made me dislike reading. It wasn’t until a friend began recommending books—one after another—that I discovered the joy of reading. I realized I could be in another world, or in another galaxy, when I sat down with a book!

I've known people who know from the time they began talking what they want to be when they grew up. I've always envied those people. Wouldn't it be nice if each of us knew, without doubt or question, what it is we want to do with our lives—to find something that engages us, challenges us, drives us to do better in this one field. Exploring the depths of the unknown and reaching for the heights at the same time in that adventure, knowing without ever questioning, "This is where I belong!"

I never really knew what I wanted to do with my life, and I drifted from this to that. Once I realized I could do something, I got bored with it and searched for something new, something exciting, something that would hold my attention and challenge me—and then came watercolor—and the discovery of watercolor led to these books!

Search for your gift — don't wait as long as I did. I was in my 40s before I realized that not everyone can paint like I can. Make no mistake, I still have so much to learn from watercolor, but as long as I pick up a paintbrush and paint, watercolor will continue to share its secrets with me.

Look for your gift. It’s there, waiting for you. And once you find it—begin to nurture it.