Day: May 6, 2017

I went to the florist yesterday to get some flowers for Connie for her birthday, but saw these two beautiful roses, one white and one yellow, there were $4 apiece and I knew Maria would love them, they had a soft and timeless beauty and she loves flowers so much.

I got them because I love her, of course, and I often try and bring her small and personal tokens of that love (I bought her a $4 bracelet two weeks ago that she loves because it is shiny and blue), but the real reason I bought them was to celebrate and commemorate a great personal triumph for her yesterday: she sold every one of the 100 potholders her students in India made after she taught them how to do it.

In February, she undertook a grueling, exhausting and sometimes frightening journey to Kolkata, India. It took months of planning and hard work and was one of the most challenging experiences of her life – a journey that would not have been imaginable when I first met her nearly a decade ago.

She had never done anything like that before, and she handled it beautifully and with great strength and clarity. She never lost her sense of purpose, and she has done what she set out to do, and will do more yet.

Maria went to India to teach some women in a small village to make potholders, so that they could be empowered to earn their own money, gain more control over their lives, and avoid some of the traps and dangers of being female in some parts of the world.

The humble potholder has become a mighty symbol for her, for us, about creativity and integrity. Maria has transformed the potholder into an art form and also now, a symbol of empowerment.

The work was done under Fair Practice rules, Maria showed the women in the House Of Hearts center how to make the potholders, and they got to work. Two weeks ago, 100 of them arrived here at the farm. They went up for sale this week, and in a day or so, they were all gone.

These beautiful potholders touched hearts and souls, just as Maria’s have.

This was the reason Maria went, so these women could use their art to make their way in the world,  and she was thrilled and deeply moved by the outcome.

She ordered 100 more potholders from India yesterday, and I will be ordering some of the beautiful bags they make at House Of Hearts.  Maria will offer those for sale also.

So many people, men and women, saw their meaning and supported this work.

I am so proud of her, and admiring of her ability to use her gifts for good in this way. It is the joy of a lifetime to see how she has grown in strength and talent.

She has changed some lives in India already, and made a powerful statement about women and their search for their rightful place in a difficult world.

So these roses are to commemorate that wonderful achievement. She and House of Hearts will do a lot of work together in the coming months and years, and I suspect she will be returning to India in another year or so. Maybe I’ll get to go this time. This is a part of our lives now, a stunning achievement.

Here’s a pledge of mine. Whenever I see a beautiful rose like this, I will buy one and hopefully, remind Maria of her strength and character and great heart.

Creativity is one of the most powerful forces in the world, it offers hope, compassion and empathy where it is so badly needed.

Congratulations, Maria, you did good.

Maria and Connie have formed a deep and loving friendship, they have connected on several levels – art, creativity, values, honesty and also in the way that women can sometimes come together in ways that most men cannot. Yesterday we brought some sunflowers to Connie for her birthday, and I was startled when Connie first asked Maria for a hug, this was not something I would have thought to do, this kind of intimacy is often difficult for me.

Now, I hug Connie every time i see her – she needs to be touched, as we all do, but it is beautiful to see the bond between these two, across time, space and life. This is the beauty of being human, no other animal on the earth can feel this way, and I am touched to be able to capture it.

Today is the Kentucky Derby, and at the Mansion yesterday, the great race was celebrated with the wearing of hats. Sylvie was eager for me to take a photo of her hat, she isn’t a great racing fan, but got into the spirit of the day. Sylvie is one of my favorite portrait subjects, her face is full of character and feeling.

Yesterday was Connie’s 79th birthday, her son came to see her, there was a party, and a parade of people bearing gifts, including Maria and Red and I. Connie has flowers all over her room, she got a birthday hat and next week, she’ s getting a new portable air conditioner so she can resume her knitting work.

Thanks for the many cards and letters you have been sending, they are especially valuable to Connie now, as she can’t do her work. You can write her c/o The Mansion, 11 S. Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.