was the first painting I did after my mother passed away. She had battled cancer for a little more than a year, and it was a very dark and sad time in my life. Her suffering had been immense, and memories of it haunted my mind endlessly after her death. I struggled to remember any of the good times we had shared in her life.

I had been praying for God to enable me to recall those good times more clearly and to lead me away from dwelling on those darker last days. God guided me to Philippians 4, a chapter I read incessantly as I discovered that the Father could grant me joy in spite of my circumstances. Philippians 4:8 says “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” This verse compelled me to search my mind fervently for the good times I could hold on to, and in doing so, my thoughts stayed on the events of my last really good day with my mom.

I had driven into town to go with her for a follow-up appointment. We knew at this point that my mom’s cancer was terminal, and she had already done so many treatments, but thankfully, the doctor was really pleased with how she looked, and he urged her to take some time off to enjoy her healthier days. We left with lighter spirits, feeling an encouragement that energized us to spend the day shopping, eating ice cream, and fantasizing about interior design. During a stop at Pier 1, she pointed out some peacock parson chairs that, coincidentally, I had just pinned onto Pinterest the week before, and she realized that she wanted them for her house too! We giggled about how we couldn’t both have the same chairs, then I conceded that she should have them instead, and we quickly proceeded to dream up beautiful plans for redecorating her living room with a peacock theme. But we never got to do it: she got very sick and was back in the hospital a week later.

This is a painting I would have wanted to do for her and the peacock living room we had dreamed of together. This painting reminds me of that special day, and how thankful to God I am for all of the good days I had with her, even though I took them for granted so often. This painting will remind you to cherish life and to dwell on the things that please God.

This painting is layered in various coats of acrylic paints with flecks of iridescent sparkles and metallic copper accents. The professional, gallery-wrapped canvas measuring 16”x 40” x 1.5” can be hung vertically or horizontally.