” When it’s over, I want to say: all my life I was a bride married to amazement. I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms,” encapsulates so eloquently my philosophy for a well-lived life. They are my favorite lines from the poem “When Death Comes” by Mary Oliver, celebrated poet who died last week at age 90, Oliver’s words articulate my deep desire to be both present and curious to what awaits me. It applies to my work too– I connect others to the story of art in the classroom where I teach college students, my weekly podcast, walking tours in Hartford, lectures–but those are just the vehicles.
Oliver offers me a blueprint for my role as the conduit to encourage others to soak up art as an experience. Just as Oliver did in her walks in nature–transferring her experiences in lyrical descriptions on the page she urges all of us “To pay attention; this is our endless and proper work.”
Image Credit: New York Times