A year ago I was in Brasil.  I've thought about it a lot this week since it was such an amazing opportunity.  It would not be possible to have a more welcoming experience than I had.  A very warm and loving people took me into their hearts, homes and lives.  And, it started the moment I set foot on Brazilian soil.  It was truly one of my very best muraling adventures.  So, I thought it was time for one more family portrait.

I observed right away that hugging was a part of every day life, every day in Brasil.  While I was greeted at the airport by a young man who spoke no English, another woman who did speak my language decided it was time to practice a little.  Before we parted ways, the young man hugged the older woman.  I learned my lesson quickly.  When I finally arrived at the last of three Brazilian airports that day, and had a crowd of eight people waiting for me, I dropped my luggage and the hugging began.   It never stopped for the entire three weeks I was in Brazil.
 
The first mural was at a community school in the little town of Barbosa Ferraz and my volunteer painters were part of an agricultural group sort of like Future Farmers of America.  I didn't know it until the end of the day, but my group of thirty volunteers came from all corners of the state.  It was a national holiday and they celebrated like family.  I was so surprised that this warm and loving group only saw each other a few times a year.  They were so close!
 
Alessa painted a red tomato on the first mural.  She couldn't have been any more proud of her work, and this portrait was taken of her in front of that confused fruit/vegetable.  She and her husband Jeferson, lived in Barbosa Ferraz.  They could not have been any more adorable and, fortunately for me, I saw them several more times since I painted two murals in their town.  Alessa didn't speak a word of English and I didn't speak Portuguese.  However, even if she weren't absolutely beautiful inside and out, I would have adored her because she was one of the few people I could speak to in Spanish.  I was able to communicate with her without the aid of a Smartphone translation app (which is an awesome tool).
 
I was informed that even though I was born in the United States, I had the heart of a Brasilian.  Believe me, that's high praise.  People with that kind of heart were gracious, caring, loving huggers.  There were no half-hearted, side-to-side huggers in Brasil.  It's full body, full-strength, hold on tightly to make sure the other person knows just how loved they really are kind of hugging. 
 
I also observed that if you have a true Brasilian heart, it is possible to cry at a moment's notice.  Just talking about the fact that you cry over emotional subjects can (and usually did) bring on more tears.  Giving a special person a gift, saying goodbye, celebrating a birthday or reading my blogs about Brasil required tissues at hand.  Alessa had this kind of heart.  I'm fairly sure there will be more tears as soon as I see her again.
 
I'll come prepared with the tissues.

I must be honest, Christmas is still my favorite holiday.  H O W E V E R, Thanksgiving is a close runner up.  I love the whole spirit about the holiday.  There is no overdose on sugar like at Halloween, as long as you don't count calories in pecan pie and sweet potato casserole.  There is no insane commercialism and mall hopping.  Yes, I know Black Friday starts the next day, but that technically has nothing to do with the reason behind the holiday.  And, you don't have to stay up past midnight like New Year's Eve.  After a turkey feast, staying awake is the last thing on anyone's mind.  No, I love Thanksgiving because it is an unspoiled holiday where everyone should stop and think of all the blessings in their lives.  It truly is a time to give thanks.

Now, being thankful was really easy for me in 2016.  It very well might have been the best year of my life.  I don't know what year might have compared to it.  I painted murals in Liberia (where I worked with Ebola survivors and painted in the town where I was once a Peace Corps volunteer).  I also worked on embassy projects in Moldova, Fiji and Nauru.  I know, most people can't find any of them on a map.  If it helps any, to fly to Nauru, you must go to Australia and then head north.  And, after that, I also painted in Mexico and Brazil.  Yep, it was an amazing year.

I can't really say so much about 2017.

Honestly, it was a much more difficult year.  But, I know that even in a rough year, there is so much to be grateful about.  It just took me a little while to realize it.

Family and Health - My brothers and sister are spread out all over the place.  We range from Alaska, Washington State, Michigan, Ohio, Belize and wherever I am on the planet when not in Columbus.  We don't see each other very much.  However, I saw more of my family this year than I have since back when I used to live at home.  That's generally a good thing.

The reunion started when my brother had a stroke in mid-December last year.  My sister took him to Belize for recovery with her family.  I traveled south to be with him and help out for almost three months.  Not only was I with family -- in the Caribbean -- but I missed out on winter in Ohio as well.  That's included on my list of blessings this year.

I've learned a lot about strokes and the horrid things they can do to people.  Many people never recover.  There are lasting problems that make life difficult for the rest of their lives.  Thankfully, my brother wasn't one of those victims.  He's had a very good recovery.  If you talked to him, you'd never realize he had a stroke.  In fact, he's back to his old, irritating, stubborn, opinionated self that can drive me crazy.  (Of course, you know in all situations, I'm completely right and he's always wrong.  I couldn't possibly be mistaken about that, could I?)

Finances - It's been a rough year.  Once returning to Ohio, there have been no more embassy calls.  I almost had work in Africa (multiple times) as well as Europe and Asia, but nothing panned out.  This year has given me a new  up close and personal understanding of the term "starving artist".  Fortunately, I've been discovered by a few local places and my last three murals have been in the Buckeye State.  I never imagined that would happen.  I'm grateful for these local experiences and connections.

Friends - My travels around the globe with my murals have blessed me with a host of friends across the planet.  This year, there have been a lot of births, a few weddings and a whole lot of celebrations that I wish I could have attended.  When my birthday rolls around, I will be greeted by friends from almost every continent.  (I seriously have to paint a mural or two in Australia to include wishes from that continent as well.)  But, the rest of the populated continents as well as some Pacific islands will be represented on my birthday greeters list.  No doubts.

Reality Check - I said earlier that it was a rough year, but life in the USA just really can't be described that way.  At least, not in the circles that I encounter.  In another corner of the world this year, one of my friends was mugged.  Four young men surrounded him.  He could have been hurt.  He could have been killed.  He was simply mugged.  Money, identification and cell phones can all be replaced.  My friend and his amazing talent cannot.  I'm thankful for that blessing.  And in my rough year, I've faced nothing like this experience.

In another corner of the globe, one of my long-time friends was hospitalized.  I don't know what for or why.  It doesn't matter.  However, he reached out for some help because he could not pay an insurmountable hospital bill.  In a country where the average annual income is $450 USD, some people have to make less than the average amount.  My guess is his $250 hospital bill was more money than he made all year.  Again, even in my rough year, I could pay that bill without batting an eye.  I have much to be thankful for.  And, I'm grateful that Facebook and Western Union allowed me to help.  When my travels first started, they were not available.

In other corners closer to home, I've had friends face health problems, family dilemmas and a few deaths while others suffered the full brunt of hurricane devastation and flooding.  My health is fine and my home is dry.  Yes, life is good and I'm grateful.

Looking Ahead - I've heard that having twins frequently skips a generation.  I'm kind of hoping that my international muraling and "all around good luck" will just skip over 2017 and land back where I can thoroughly enjoy them in 2018.  There are forces in the works for murals in Eastern Europe, Africa and South America as I write this.  Hopefully, muraling in Ohio will continue as well.  Here's wishing for a terrific year to all my family, friends, whoever may read this blog and me in the coming year.  I'm hoping that when the end of next year rolls around, I won't have to ponder a while before I realize just how truly blessed I really am.