Art has brought Jane out of her shell and into the world.

It was Kim Dooley, the assistant activities director, who first noticed Jane’s reaction when a brush and paint, and paper were put in front of her. She paints every day, and her style is complex, unique, and full of life.

Kim and I are working closely as I deepen my work with Memory Care. It feels right. Kim is a pleasure to work with.

Today, Maria and I went to memory care with Zinnia to visit the residents and get to know them and also to talk with Jane about her art.

It was poignant and beautiful to see her run her fingers across each line. Every painting tells a story, Kim says. If Jane forgets it, all she has to do is look at the painting. One painting is about the time when she had no father or mother, she said, until her mother and father came to get her and take her home.

I got sick this evening, so I can’t go play the Ukulele for the Mansion residents on Christmas Day. I’m hoping I’m well enough to get to our Vermont Inn Monday night for our one night Christmas getaway.

Everyone I know is sick, it seems.

(Jane explains her art to Maria and Kim Dooley, the aide who discovered her passion for painting.)

She lights up when asked to show her paintings and is excited, even though she struggles for the words. We are working on a Pop-up art show for Jane at the Mansion.

It was especially touching to see the link that formed between her and Maria at first sight. They communicated as if they had known each other for years. Jane was proud to show Maria her work and explain it, it was artist to artist, almost mystical in its beauty.

They completely understand one another Maria says Jane is the real deal, she knows what she is doing and has a distinctive style for  her abstract painting.

Jane and Zinnia have attached to one another in a deep and beautiful way. Jane asked if Zinnia could stay over night in her room, I said she has a lot of other people to visit but we would come back every week.

I’m training Zinnia to jump up gingerly and quietly so that the residents can touch her and feel her and rub and scratch and hug her, which they love to do, and which she likes for them to to. She really matters in memory care. She knows what she is doing.

It was Kim who saw the artist in Jane that needed to come out. Jane makes art every single morning when Kim brings her the right materials. It is a beautiful thing to see the attachments that form between the Mansion Memory care aides and the residents.

The love between these two is profound.