Message from the Author / Illustrator:
Many of these images are from a mural I created for Cedar Park First United Methodist Church.
Final Image:
We're All In This Together
This artwork was completed during the global pandemic and just before Earth Day so it has, I hope, a double meaning. We're all in this together; not just with our human neighbors but we share this planet with the animals, creatures, beasts and trees and plants and ocean. Skin color, culture, borders of nationality, religious beliefs, status, age, gender, who we love should not divide us.
To quote Mr. Rogers: "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of 'disaster, ' I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers-so many caring people in this world." In this current pandemic this is especially true, and I much prefer the media stories of true heroes. I pray we learn some lessons from this current situation and can make some cleaner greener solutions and make some lasting changes for the better.
What is more beautiful than smiles and genuine smiles are not limited to skin color, culture, age, gender or any other previously mentioned factor. In closing with a quote from Demi Lovato: "Nothing is more beautiful than a smile that has struggled through tears".