Infants cry in grief when they lose something or someone precious to them, which can be as simple as someone they love walking out of the room. Young children can grieve over losing a favorite toy, but no longer consider it a possible irrevocable loss when someone they love walks into another room.

We fear the loss. It threatens us. We feel diminished. The future we envision seems threatened.

Our understandings about loss changes as we mature and what we value most can also change.

Although unexpressed or stuffed and denied grief can lead to emotional problems, including depression, grief itself is not depression.

Depression involves hopelessness. It also tends to lack the passion a grieving person feels, including a passion for getting over the grief!

When a loved one, such as a cherished parent, child, close friend or mate dies grief is normal and natural. Generally the strength and love in the relationship determines how much grief we experience. The general rule of thumb is that for someone close it takes at least a year to grieve. Each new holiday, each experience that normally would have been shared with the lost loved one, brings a new realization, recognition and experience of the loss.

The irony is that anyone who suffers the death of someone near and dear to them and has experienced grief, even overwhelming feeling grief, is truly blessed. Blessed because of having a wonderful parent, spouse, child or friend, which is a blessing that others lack. All of the experiences that were shared remain as memories that may feel sad now, but in the future will be cherished, uplifting and encouraging in the future.

As an artist, I am concerned with the visual aspects of grief. We visually project and make memories of a future we intend or intended to have with our loved ones, such as holiday events. Plus, we have visual memories of experiences that we have shared with our loved ones. The world we see around us can remind us of our loss.

These memories of imagined futures and real pasts pop up to us, thanks to our brains, when we experience (especially including see ), people, places and/or things that are a part of these memories. When this happens we again feel our loss.

When someone we are close with on a daily basis passes away, especially if it is someone we lived with or worked with, our daily lives are filled with visual items that trigger memories of that person. The more time and interaction we have with someone, the more memories we have of them in places we know, using items we recognize, interacting while we do the things we normally do.

People who have gained Awakened Vision, and so see more energy, usually do not experience negative or unwanted emotions that are associated with people, places or things that they see, especially when what is seen is not actually any real current threat. However, grief can seem to alter that.

Something seen can seem to trigger the grief, which is an unwanted emotion. Actually, the grief is not an old memory of emotion, but a new experience in relation to a very wanted and cherished memory of a loved one, which then turns into grief and mourning when it is realized that the loved one will never use the item, attend the event of be here in that same way again.

The brain is always set to survival and survival enhancement—that is basically its job. Survival enhancement means what gives pleasure or promotes survival, even when survival is not threatened. What we choose to enjoy the brain remembers, and we can enjoy that again and again.

Previous to Thelma’s passing she may have been thought of whenever a blueberry pie was made or even purchased or eaten. The memories of her happiness and appreciation of the pies you made was pleasurable and affirming – these are the kind of memories we choose to enjoy.

During the grieving process these enjoyable memories remind us of loss – the loss that we will never again experience in real life the company and affirmation from the loved one. Yet, these are not full unwanted memories or emotions—we want to keep the memories of the happy times and experience those emotions, but we do not want to experience the pain of the grief.

Later, when the grieving is successfully completed, there will once again only be the happy memories, without the grief.

Awakened Vision helps transform the grief and mourning by instilling an awareness of the presence of The Divine, and the words of the Creator in each moment of our live, whatever is happening and whatever we are doing. This can dramatically transform life, including the experience of grief and mourning.

For instance, returning to the example of the loss of Cousin Thelma above at the point making this year’s blueberry pie and realizing that Thelma will not be at the picnic to enjoy it. Although all of the types of memories indicated previously may be experienced, including the grief, following that is the sure visual recognition of the presence of The Divine, especially the energies, which are understood as the Creator’s words surrounding us and creating everything in the physical universe. That understanding, in a moment of grief, offers comfort and peace and hope, which can transform grief and mourning into a process of a closer experience and relationship with The Divine.

To discover more about Awakened Vision, plus discover more about the vision changing Post Conceptual UnGraven Image Art of Judy Rey Wasserman, get your free copy of the 50 + page color illustrated e book, The Art of Seeing The Divine, Introduction, which includes 2 full visual brain game experiences, Click: http://artofseeingthedivine.com/FreeBook.htm

There is an old saying that goes, “Be careful what you pray for, you might get your request.”

Guidance from “The Divine” (please substitute the name or term that is most appropriate for you) can be experienced though prayer requests that are met and unmet. Prayer is defined as, “is the act of attempting to communicate with a deity or spirit.” Positive thinking, affirmations, visualization, etc., can also be understood as kinds of prayer requests.

There have been many ferverent prayers and requests in my life that seemed to go unanswered. Actually they were answered. The answer was: “No!”

Now that I look back, with perspective on many of those unfulfilled requests, I am so glad I did not get my way! I would not be who I am today and doing what I am doing had some of the requests come true.

What I am now doing is basically what I described as a teenager, only back then I could see no way of ever accomplishing my purposes. For one thing the smallest known particle was an electron, and until string and M theory were created, I had no way to paint symbolically showing the essential energies or pre-matter of the universe.

I have found that my heartfelt prayers are always somehow answered. These are the requests that well up from my spirit, that have little to do with my comfort, any ego expression or getting me out of a jam I managed to get into all by my self.

Almost all of my interests, training and experience basically came together and are necessary for me to found and create Post Conceptual UnGraven Image Art theory, and now also The Art of Seeing The Divine books, which are like empowering and inspirational seminars in book format. That my life has been leading to this is a blessing of answered prayer that amazes me everyday. And it only gets better.

Creative people, artists, writers, composers, above the line professionals in film and theatre all experience inspiration or guidance. This is the mythological “bringing the fire down from heaven”. Athletes refer to this immediate inspiration as being in the flow. We find it easiest to become inspired, intuitively take the best action and be in the flow in the areas where our unique talents lie. We all have unique talents.

Yet someone (like me!) who can be inspired and in the flow in one endeavor can only a few minutes later be almost wretchedly on one’s own when the task involved is one outside of one’s gifts and expertise. In some ways, this may be The Divine keeping us humble, and it also means that as human beings we need each other. We all have gifts and talents to contribute.

Although prayer is not officially allowed in public schools and colleges, our educational system that insists that all students master a variety of subjects towards creating a well rounded individual has resulted in much prayer. Students pray for good grades in areas where they lack talent.

I had a difficult time with foreign languages; especially speaking them as I am so visually oriented. As I look back walking into French class was like entering an intense prayer service for me.

In my senior year of high school the only subject I studied every day at outside of the classroom with intensity and for any length of time was French. I studied as if my life depended on it, but fortunately it only seemed to. If effort and determination counted I would have received an “A” but by the end of the semester my grade was a “58”.

Part of the problem was my teacher, whose name I remember well but will not mention. Today, she would be dismissed, but things were different then and she had tenure.

I was tall, blonde, buxom and quite pretty, which meant more to her than it did to me. Outside of French class I was quite bright and had good grades. I was more focused on art, intellectual pursuits, volunteering and politics, as were my best friends.

That teacher disliked me from day one. Now as an adult who does not personalize other’s problems much, I understand that the short and stubby teacher, who was gaining on the other side of middle age, with badly bleached close cropped hair much like a man’s, was probably well suited for different work, which was closed to her due to the fact she was female. She was deeply angry, frustrated and jealous. She had a reputation for her behavior in the school and the only students who liked her were her few pets who were always short girls.

She publicly berated and ridiculed me whenever she could, picking on my posture, my appearance, and when – there was no if– I made a mistake, she yelled and screamed at me. I remember she even purposefully kicked my leg once as she walked in the aisle. When I did manage to get a question right, she would ignore that and soon find something to criticize. That she behaved this way to many other students did not console me.

The minute the teacher would call upon me, I went totally blank. To add to my fear, I needed to pass French to meet my language requirements for an academic diploma and graduate. This one class was bringing down my otherwise straight A average. I was studying, praying, wishing and a hoping but nothing was helping me.

I had given up all my lunchtimes to work in the guidance office so that I could have Mr. Bertram Katz for every art class he taught that I could take. Of course I had also prayed to be able to make up a schedule that included the classes I wanted that were taught by Mr. Katz.

When I went to make up my schedule for the spring semester of my senior year the only way I could take art with Mr. Katz was to take French honors, and I definitely was ineligible. I had already “lucked out” in that this year it was determined that students failing in a language class could move on to the next semester and their grade average for the full year would count.

The guidance teacher I worked for took me to see Mrs. Henrietta Rattiner, who headed up the French department and taught the French honors class. He asked for special permission for me to take French honors so that I could have the schedule for art classes with Mr. Katz. Mostly, I recall looking at Mrs. Rattiner as I sobbed with tears of fear and grief. No one in the school had ever seen me cry before. I would have agreed to anything, but was only asked to promise to study hard and accept being tutored, which was arranged with a college student.

As if it happened this morning, I remember the first time when Mrs.Rattiner called on me in honors French class. As was the custom, I stood up. She said something to me in French, but I was already blank and trying hard to look calm and stand steady. There was an uneasy pause. The rest of the class, all honors students (as I was in all my other classes) stared at me, which made things worse.

Then Mrs. Rattiner did something different. She smiled at me and slowly walked towards me saying encouragingly, “You know the answer. I know you do. Let’s try it again.” Then she repeated her question in French, and I did know the answer!

Granted, once I realized I knew the answer, I also knew it was a fairly simple question. Yet, Mrs. Rattiner then praised me, smiled some more and I sat down, wide eyed that for the first time in a long time I actually was not nauseous in French class.

Mrs. Rattiner continued to encourage me and let me know that she believed in me throughout the semester. I worked very hard, the tutor also helped a lot because I heard and spoke more of the language. As she encouraged me, I began to have more confidence outside of the areas of my talents. Learned that I could achieve more than I or the “authorities” in my life ever expected.

In Mrs. Rattiner’s class my average was in the low nineties. Since the final performance was weighted, my final grade in French for the year was in the low eighties. So, I could graduate with an academic diploma with honors.

If I had earned good grades despite the awful teacher in the first semester of French, I would have missed one of the most valuable lessons of my life that I learned from Mrs. Rattiner: believing in myself and encouraging others. Speaking some French has not come in anywhere near as useful.

Many years later, the experience helped teach me an even more important lesson about the blessings of unanswered prayers.

Not necessarily an original – since personally, I’d take a good reproduction of a van Gogh, Rembrandt, Monet, etc., over some of the “originals” I have seen recently in various galleries.

By original, I mean that the artist’s vision is unique and inspiring.

There is a great deal of good art, beautifully rendered work being done today. I know artists who have talent and training and they paint lovely paintings using oils and watercolors, especially. Just one problem, been there seen that. Who is painting what is really new and will change the way I see the world? I want to see that.

A good life is original. Each person has his or her own path. Attempting to follow another’s path only manages to take one off one’s own path.

It’s an interesting thing about paths. We can only take the next step. We cannot undo past steps, but we can correct our course if we have rambled off our path. But, a path is walked one step at a time. Try to run ahead and one goes off one’s path.

A step takes time, even though it may seem to go rather fast, such as during a brisk walk.

Imagine a step shown in slow motion. It happens second by second, bit by bit, movement by movement: the lifting up of the leg, leaning forward, the shifting of one’s weight… It’s an easy accomplishment for the average healthy person, but for a baby becoming a toddler or a person who has a foot or leg injury it takes more concentration. The time seems to stretch out. Taking a simple step demands focus and being present.

No one can walk with the Lord in the past. Nor is it possible to do so in the future. All we have is now.

God is always present in the Now. It is our challenge to let go of our past baggage, worries, concerns, unresolved emotional difficulties with others, anger, and what ever else is running through our minds – and take the bold step of focusing on the immediate now.

Take a deep breath. Concentrate on just breathing in then breathing out. Experience that breath. Look around. What do you see? Not what needs to be done – but what is actually where you are? What is now? (Please, give it a try — now.)

This blog was inspired by a Collector Family member who wrote me that she is having a problem staying in balance. She is very busy with a life that places many demands on her time.

Being out of balance means not being in the moment of now with the Lord. Even busy people only have now, although it may seem otherwise.

Jesus said, “I do nothing but what the Father does through me.” That’s about being in the now and focused on the Father.

Paul said, “Pray without ceasing” — meaning be in communication as prayer is communication that goes both ways. Paul is taking about a constant relationship with God that can only happen in the now.

Hillel said, “If not now, when?” Hillel is asking when can we actually do anything except in the now?

They are all pointing to the same reality. We cannot have a relationship with our Creator except in the now. And, if we are not having a relationship with the Lord in the moment, as we draw each breath, then we are indeed going to feel out of balance. Other words we apply to our lack of being present in the moment (and therefore in relationship with the Creator) are terms such as stressed, harried, out of sorts, upset, etc.

My life is very out of balance in the way of the world. Experts might disapprove of my path. That’s their problem. I am focusing on staying on my path.

I am working to stay, moment by moment, step by step on the path that the Lord has for me. Sure, I fail on a daily basis. I stumble, trip and even take spiritual pratfalls. I get lost in my thoughts of the path and future. Then I pick myself up, brush myself off and get my focus back on the Lord and what is now. I ask, What do I do now, Lord? I ask this as often as I can remember to do so, many, many times a day and I have been at it for years. What do I do now? What do I say now? There is always an answer, just not necessarily the one I want. And it is always simple and immediate, dealing with the now.

Most of us ask for guidance during times of crisis. I have learned to ask on an ongoing basis, even when I think I can handle the situation myself. On a moment to moment basis and more of my moments are spent that way. You can do this too.

We can only relate to God (or anyone) in the moment of NOW. We cannot do it in the future or past.

When I have my answer, and act on it, such as late and night, when I get the sense of inspirational feedback, like, Go brush your teeth … then when I break away from the painting or the PC screen, I have a sense of balance of peace of being on my right path. (The teeth brushing thing is generally followed with the move towards bed.)

When I am busy with the many tasks that I wish I could give to the staff I don’t have yet, I try to be present in that now, focus on the Lord. Moment by moment. Easy to say, not as easy to accomplish.

For instance, putting together my shipments of prints is a task that is routine but uniquely specific in detail for each package. It is work I could mostly and gladly hand over to a competent assistant. However, it is still my own task and I have learned that there is nothing so mundane or small that the Lord does not wish to be there with you and share it.

A great painting is created one stroke at a time. The inspiration (for me communication with the Lord) that the artist had when each stroke was made shows in a painting. A great symphony is written note by note and again, the inspiration is evident. A great piece of literature…well, you have the idea.

Great works of art out continue to inspire many generations and so seem immortal.

If we live our lives one moment at a time with the Lord, we will live great lives that will inspire others. That is what Jesus, Paul, Hillel and many other great teachers have tried to tell us. In Genesis, it says that Enoch walked perfectly with the Lord and then was no more – in other words, Enoch never died. I find that amazingly inspirational.

Inspirational enough to inspire me to create a whole new theory of art, Post Conceptual UnGraven Image, where the focus is on the stroke: tiny strokes – one stroke at a time in the ever expanding and inspirational now.