Gratitude – Day 130 – Joyce DiDonato

I’m grateful for holidays that involve FIREWORKS!! Even if I had to work today because I’m in Madrid where they don’t celebrate Independence Day (the nerve!), I’m glad for the rest of my compatriots who get the day off and can indulge in hot dogs, ice cream, potato salad, bike parades, dives off the high dive, painted faces, sunburns and block parties! This lovely sight greeted me last Sunday while I was home for a full 18 hours or so – the Kansas City Symphony gave a free concert just outside my window, so as I was going through heaps of mail and French taxes and laundry and xeroxing, I was able to get a touch of the festivities which carried me through today.

(Luckily, the display lasted a long time so I could really play around with my camera!!!)

Happy 4th of July to America and all it’s ex-pats – and speaking on behalf of my Country, I hope we live up to our promise a bit better in the future…

PS – the monument in the background is the Liberty Memorial – the National World War I memorial in the United States – the only museum dedicated solely to WWI.

As an artist, you will never arrive at a fixed destination. THIS is the glory and the reward of striving to master your craft and embarking on the path of curiosity and imagination, while being tireless in your pursuit of something greater than yourself.