Dawn on the Marsh, Essex, MA

By Carrie Jacobson

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”

So said Albert Schweitzer, and so say I.

I am still mourning my dear Kaja, but I had a show to do last weekend, and grief or not, I was committed. My heart was not in it, but I loaded the van, and I drove to Wickford, RI, and in the blazing heat and humidity, set up the tent, set up the display, and, on Saturday, waited for the show to open.

The sun beat down, the humidity closed in, and the people came. They came, and they talked, and they admired and they shared their stories with me. Shared their lives with me. Told me about the dogs they had loved, about losing their own parents, about worrying about their children, and seeking inspiration in lives that seemed to be going flat.

They shared their hearts with me, these strangers, and they brought me back again. They lighted that inner flame again.

Thank you, everyone who wrote, for your kind words and condolences. They helped enormously, as well.

If you would like to find out more about this painting, please email me at carrieBjacobson@gmail.com