How Artist Sums Up Parenting With Single Picture Will Make You Hug Your Kids Tight
Maybe you’re a parent — or maybe, you simply fulfill the nurturing role of guide, guardian, or mentor for somebody else. Either way, pouring our hearts into another person or creature can make life almost painfully beautiful.
We truly give a piece of ourselves to those who depend on us most. We cultivate, coax, correct, encourage, coach, and foster a sense of self-confidence.
And then, sometimes, those individuals gradually drift away from our immediate physical space.
If they’re our beloved kids, they come into their own and venture forth to light up the world.
Maybe that’s why one poignant painting, in particular, is resonating with parents across social media.
It was created by Andrei Popov, an artist from St. Petersburg, Russia.
As with life, Popov’s symbolic scene is quietly expressive. It depicts what can actually happen at any time, with almost anyone we help support — in a range of affecting ways.
The scene simply shows an advancing series of height markers, lovingly inscribed onto an open doorframe. Then, gradually, those humble black lines transform into wings … and they fly off toward the waiting horizon.
Children grow up so achingly fast. But even friends and other loved ones can sometimes reach a point of personal progress where our mutual relationship can no longer remain the same.
That’s when the spirits we’ve cherished most can simply fly away.
And even though the departure can be overflowing with hopeful expectation, it can break our human hearts just the same.
So really, Popov’s painting is a gentle yet powerful reminder to celebrate every single second. It’s a prompting to realize that life can change in a matter of moments — which is why we should focus on making every moment matter.
Popov, for his part, seems to have a distinctive gift for observing fundamental truths about life and love.
He then picks up his artist’s tools, and proceeds to tell us a story.
What are your unique tools? Popov’s “open door” painting may strike a particular chord with parents — but it also coaxes us to explore our own ability to share from the heart, every minute.
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