Every Day Is A Gift

“I didn’t expect to recover from my second operation but since I did, I consider that I’m living on borrowed time. Every day that dawns is a gift to me and I take it in that way. I accept it gratefully without looking beyond it. I completely forget my physical suffering and all the unpleasantness of my present condition and I think only of the joy of seeing the sun rise once more and of being able to work a little bit, even under difficult conditions.”

Henri Matisse

MatisseHenri-Émile-Benoît Matisse (1869–1954) is known as one of the leading figures of modern art. He is also proof that art heals and that age has no limitations. In 1941, at the age of 71, he was diagnosed with cancer. Although he lost the physical strength to paint and sculpt as he once had, Matisse continued to create and innovate. During this stage of life, he began his “cut-out” works of art which are recognized as some of his most important, treasured pieces.

“I have needed all that time to reach the stage where I can say what I want to say. Only what I created after the illness constitutes my real self: free, liberated.”

Matisse’s life and his artistic expression remind us to remain creative and carry on!