I art, therefore I am…
Adding this to include as a representative illustration for a little story I am trying to write called, “Nanny Goat and the Purple Coat.” key words: USDA Ag Farm Beltsville, research, sheep, lamb, PB, picture book
Adding this to include as a representative illustration for a little story I am trying to write called, “Nanny Goat and the Purple Coat.”
key words: USDA Ag Farm Beltsville, research, sheep, lamb, PB, picture book
Rose was happy that Christmas was done. That horrid Elf on a Shelf was gone. Rose could stop worrying that someone was always watching her. Now, it was Valentine’s Day, which was no fun at Rose’s school. The nice teachers might bring Sweethearts or lollipops. Some teachers would wear red, and maybe bring construction paper for classes to make a few cards. In Rose’s neighborhood, … Continue reading “Valentiny: Rose’s Grumpy Chocolate Day”
Rose was happy that Christmas was done. That horrid Elf on a Shelf was gone. Rose could stop worrying that someone was always watching her.
Now, it was Valentine’s Day, which was no fun at Rose’s school. The nice teachers might bring Sweethearts or lollipops. Some teachers would wear red, and maybe bring construction paper for classes to make a few cards.
In Rose’s neighborhood, people couldn’t waste money on candy and cards.
“Let’s go!,” Mom said as she grabbed Rose’s backpack. Rose did not know that the Elf on the Shelf’s cousin, Valentiny, had zipped herself into Rose’s bag while Rose was asleep.
Valentiny was invisible, except to children. Only those with the kindest hearts ever caught a glimpse of her. She flashed like a star.
Unlike the Elf, Valentiny knew that children were good. And she knew how much children need TLC, even when they turn 14.
Overnight, Valentiny had swept through Rose’s school, filling each locker with golden chocolate coins–and a few real ones.
When the children opened their lockers that morning, the coins poured out everywhere. It was chaos: joyful disruption. Even the meanest teachers nearly smiled.
And while the children ate chocolate for breakfast and licked their chocolately lips, Valentiny danced away, a shooting star.
THE SUN INTERVIEW by JANICE LYNCH SCHUSTER I first met physician Raymond Barfield in 2009 in Tunisia, where doctors and other health professionals had gathered to talk about how to improve care for people with cancer and HIV/AIDS. I heard Barfield speak eloquently of the need to bridge the worlds of medicine and the spirit. … Continue reading “The Miracle In Front Of You: Raymond Barfield On Practicing Medicine With Compassion”
I first met physician Raymond Barfield in 2009 in Tunisia, where doctors and other health professionals had gathered to talk about how to improve care for people with cancer and HIV/AIDS. I heard Barfield speak eloquently of the need to bridge the worlds of medicine and the spirit. On the trip home to the U.S., during a layover in the Paris airport, I spotted Barfield hunched over a notebook and writing in longhand. He told me he was working on a novel and that he also wrote poetry and played guitar. I remember thinking, Isn’t healing the sick enough for one lifetime? Honestly I may have just felt jealous.
After the conference Barfield and I kept in touch. A few years ago I developed a painful condition called burning mouth syndrome, and he has assisted me in my struggle to find a treatment that works, often reminding me that art can help the healing process. He encourages me to see the beauty of the everyday, something he does in his own life, not only in his daily practice as a doctor who cares for children living with cancer and other serious illnesses, but also as a musician and writer.
Read the rest of the excerpt here. And even better, buy a hard copy if you can–subscribe! It is one of the best magazines around. I’ve been a subscriber for years–maybe 20 or more? I first read it in the mid-1980s while having a drink across the street from Guilford College. Meeting Ray, reading The Sun, graduating from Guilford have all been transformative time in my life.
key words: Raymond Barfield, children with cancer, spirituality and health, compassionate care, medical education, medical training, World Health Organization, Duke University, pediatric oncology, palliative care, empathy in training