31 - NATURAL BEAUTY

NATURAL BEAUTY

16 x 20 inches

(Mother as a young woman, c. 1930’s)

This is Mother as a young lady. Her lace collar, her cameo, and her refined smile portray grace. Her reserved presence belies her inner strength rooted in the German Lutheran tradition. Her mantra was, “We can do anything we set our minds to.” If you wanted something done, you did it yourself. She approached everything with a belief in perfectionism, especially how she kept her home. To her, cleanliness was next to Godliness.

As a child, my eye was drawn to natural beauty. Mother’s beauty and femininity became my role model. Her strength and strong will are contrasted by her sensitivity. When something tugs at her heart, she is easily moved to tears. Mom's maiden name was Weitzenkamp—the calm determination of the Weitzenkamps was demonstrated in the face of many challenges, teaching that Light can be strong and clear as well as humble and sensitive.