Wallpaper…Times Four

I have done three blogs on wallpaper. One on an antique wallpaper, one wallpapering with friends, and one on miraculously supplied wallpaper. I wonder where I can go with this? You know I must find a rabbit hole to jump into.

How about the wallpaper of our lives – what does it look like? When we were babies maybe the first roll was just pink, yellow, or blue because we hadn’t lived life yet – no one knew who we were yet. Or maybe it had pink flowers or basketballs on it, presuming we would like one or the other. Mine would have had lots of girls sprinkled on it and later some boys (siblings).

Our early growing years, when we were discovering ourselves and our world, might show wallpaper with sunshine and rainbows, 4^th of July sparklers, Band-Aids, puppies and kittens, toys, plays, or parades. Mine would have grief and laughter. I see faces laughing on my wallpaper – and crying. (Our dad died when we were young.)

Our teen years would descend with hippy paraphernalia, footballs, figures skating, music, and maybe a few hearts – and a few broken hearts. And the ever-constant peer pressure – how would that look on wallpaper? A swinging hammer? A person pushing against a brick wall that is pushing against him/her? A child sitting on a curb, crying?

Young adulthood might show heavier textbooks, sporty cars, parties, more hearts and broken hearts, champagne, wedding dresses, children, or pets, or hiking trails and waterfalls. A time of life when we make mistakes, survive to make more, and grow because of them.

The mid years paint another picture. Maybe we marry late or remarry after divorce or widow/widowerhood, maybe we are still raising a family or welcoming grandchildren; we are still working, and working, and getting tired. Will there be snoozing emojis on our wallpaper for the naps we start sliding into?  Work or family cars, dragging feet –but there are also red sunsets, sparkling moments, and laughing faces. I see a good deal of color and activity on mine.

Finally, the later years seeing the end approaching; for some there is fear – will that be painted with eyes peeking out of dark colors? Pain is sometimes a constant companion – how do we draw that? Scrunched faces? Clenched hands? A wheelchair? Loneliness, too, can hit some – will their wallpaper have empty, gray spaces? And yet, we are beginning to see that the twilight of life can be warm and tender and welcoming as well. Though we may not want to slide into this part of life or eventually leave our loved ones behind, there is peace in knowing we lived and loved. Especially when some people did not. Their wallpaper ended all too briefly.

Look at your own wallpaper. Are you surprised at how it looks? Are you stronger than you thought you were? Are you more blessed than you thought? Rest in the fact that you have lived and loved – no matter what stage you are at. And keep painting those bright, happy colors even through the rough times. Let's spread the joy around! We all have dark days and need some of that sunshine!