Welch Whirl

In the Strength of the Lord


by Emily McPhie

For Mother's Day my mother-in-law got this for me. I LOVE this painting. I feel like it tells my story. My story of living and enduring and enjoying the life of wife of mother.

The meaning behind the skirt of my life:

The artist says the garden represents nurturing. I see it as a reminder to tend to our families.

The tree represents family history. I see it as a reminder to carry on family traditions. Pass on to your children the skills, traits, history that you learned from your ancestors.

The bees represent hardwork. I see it just as that. We are busy little bees trying to gather the nector to bring home. The nector turns into honey. The reward for hard work.

The landscape of the hill represents endurance, and working to become better at all we do. Homemaking is defiantly an uphill battle for me. Never done, always more to do. Especially laundry.

The three butterflies represent children. They are always changing and metamorphosing. I feel like I could do a better job of loving each stage that my kids are in. Perhaps I should also do a better job of documenting where they are so we can look back later and enjoy it all over again.

The clothesline represents chores. Notice how long the artist line is. Keeping up with life is hard and never ending. There are always groceries to buy, e-mail to check, homework to finish, a car to wash.

The sheep represent missionary work. "Arise and gird up your loins, take up your cross, follow me, and feed my sheep" D&C 112:14. I also interpret this to represent my calling. I'm currently in Young Women's. I love it and I really do feel like I'm tending sweet lambs at times. Looking out for them, making sure they learn what they need to learn.

The little house represents strength. The dove is the spirit and the lilies represent Christ. To me the home is the place to gain the security and strength to go about the world accomplishing what needs to be done. And like the artist I know I cannot do it alone. I need to feel the continual love and strength that Christ gives me. I'd also like to mention that I love that the home is a simple representation of what a home is. It is not a complicated place. It is simple. I feel that the simpler that I live my life the happier I will be. I don't need to collect so much in my life -- it feels wonderful to purge the unnecessary, tangible or intangible.

AAHhh, this painting is so refreshing. Rather than making me tired to see my life represented in oil, it helps me see my life as meaningful and beautiful. I am so blessed to be a wife and mother.

I hope you like this painting as much as I do.