Building Castles

melaniestokesart.com
Building Castles
9×12
Oil

Have I mentioned that I’m a grandmother?  I have four grandchildren – two in my home state of Georgia, and two in Texas.  Recently, my Texan son and his family visited for a week.  What a joy to be able to spend time with them!  And part of that time was spent at the beach!

As I looked back through photos of the days, this one seemed like a good one to paint – father, mother, and both brothers, making memories as they built a MEGA sand castle.  No doubt, Luke was remembering the many sand castles his father and brother helped him build. (I could identify with my daughter-in-law’s stance as the one who was content to observe.)

As I painted, I thought about how they are not only building a castle, but building a family, building a home, building men, building memories, building life.  They are building a castle that lasts longer and is worth so much more than any castle they could ever build with sand — or bricks and mortar for that matter.  Parents are builders – it takes hard work and lots of time,  but so worth it!