On what has problably been the darkest day of my life so far, something provided a glimmer of hope.
As I walked through the halls to deal with a family tragedy, the artwork of Fairfax Public Schools students hung on the wall of Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children.
On Jan 17 of 2011, the hospital honored the artists whose work was displayed.
The hospital actually has a document on Art Therapy, specifically breaking it down to Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Dance Therapy and Imagery.
If you know me and what my family has been dealing with, you might wonder how there could've been any light on such a day, but whether I realized it or not, it was a reminder about healing, through the acts of creation and expression.
The healing power of creating or simply experiencing art addresses damage to the mind and spirit, which treating the body cannot do anything about most of the time. And in the loss of a loved one, art can be one way to move forward. To process what has happened, to make sense of what you can, and expression frustration towards what you can't. But I digress...slightly.
Now granted art therapy is not the only tool, but at its core, the artwork shared by the young artists was (not intentionally, but maybe so) a reminder that no matter the hurt, the pain, the loss,...healing happens in many forms, day by day. And hopefully in time, my family would find that path to healing.
- J Street Jr
Related Links
- American Art Therapy Association (based in Alexandria)
- American Dance Therapy Association (based in Columbia)
- American Music Therapy Association (based in Silver Spring)
- Inova Health System - Care Pages | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
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