23 Sep All Roads Lead to Grace
This weekend I’m traveling to New York City to visit Ford Austin, AFT’s first recipient and his lovely wife, Dash.
Ford is immersed in extensive day-to-day medical care, continuing to build and shore up his stamina in preparation for his next surgery…hip surgery. This is very much the pattern for severe Level 1 trauma… a long-term recovery process for both the survivor and their family.
While visiting this fantastic city and Ford, I’ve seen some of the world’s most profound art museums: The Guggenheim, The Frick Collection and The Metropolitan Museum of Art…resonating with art, art history and it’s dramatic evocative effect on the human spirit and condition.
Creativity…Connectivity…Community.
Art is an extremely effective life-processing gift to facilitate transition of emotions and life reflection.
Art is also all around me. It is the beating heart of this magnificent city. No matter whether I am walking on the pavement, riding in a cab or even sitting in one of New York’s inspiring parks, I am discovering the healing energy and artistic heart of Manhattan.
While driving around New York City in the back of many helpful cabs, I was excited and delighted to pass the beautiful and impressive CNN building. Immediately I was filled with gratitude and fond memories of filming the recent Artists For Trauma segment for Dr. Sanjay Gupta ‘s ‘Human Factor’ show.
A portion of the AFT segment was filmed in the Rose Garden in concert with the Veteran’s Park Conservancy and the Los Angeles National Veteran’s Park, sharing the model of the program while working with another of our AFT recipients, Shelley Jones.
CNN, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta and his team share people’s intimate stories, hoping to facilitate a positive difference in the challenges of the human condition. Artists For Trauma recognizes and applauds the kind, compassionate, and respectful manner in which the CNN team of individuals carry out their mission.
Manhattan is a work of art in and of itself and I am thoroughly enjoying this impressive, dynamic, artistic and diverse city. It is rich in color, culture, historical architecture and texture.
As if this art linkage is not enough, Etan Boritzer, participating artist in the AFT network, and children’s book author is attending the Brooklyn Book Fair this weekend. We were all able to connect in this magical city.
Last night, an auspicious evening drove my entire experience here to a graceful peak. I experienced a true moment of serendipity you see in movies or read about in books. Without coordination, my friend in trauma and art, Ford and his wife, Lauree Dash, called to let me know they had theater tickets and would be unable to meet me.
I told them I too had purchased tickets. The crazy, serendipitous moment occurred when we discovered we both had bought tickets to the same show called “Grace” starring Paul Rudd, Michael Shannon and Ed Asner. However, the serendipity did not end there as the play, which is running at the Cort Theater on Broadway, featured a story about a trauma survivor and his neighbors as they are all trying to get their lives back on track.
After the show, Ford, Lauree and I met outside with the crowd of theater-goers under the marquis. We took photos to remember this “graceful” moment and I bathed in the warmth of the city, it’s artistic life-blood and all the agape love the Universe brought to us all during my wonderful trip. It was truly an opportunity to reconnect with myself and with my friends in this amazingly grace-filled world.
To quote Ed Asner and his profound closing line in the New York Broadway play, “Grace,” I extend this heartfelt message to all who have survived severe trauma: …”I understand…”
~ Laura
Artists For Trauma
….where Recovery is an Art