Anticipation

When my friend, Samantha, reached out to me to commission a graduation present for her son, I got so excited. It’s been a while since I’ve created a sculptural tile. 

“Anticipation” 2021, Ceramic Tile 8 x 8

Samantha shared how proud they were of Seth. He is committed to his faith, family and friends. He became a leader at school and was recognized in the top five of his ROTC class. He pursued trade school as a plumbing technician while still in high school and had gotten hired even before graduating. 

But like most young people transitioning into adulthood, he was starting to wonder what his path was going to look like and started questioning some of the decisions he’s made. 

As I was preparing for this piece, I thought about my struggles with uncertainty. I tried to remember what it was like after graduating from high school and realized that my experiences were nowhere near close to what Seth has. What I do remember is that while it seemed like there was a wealth of opportunities out there, I was at a loss as to how I was going to navigate through it. I had some goals but they changed every time I learned there was this other “career” that made so much money. I really didn’t know what I wanted.

I thought about the many times that I didn’t know what I was doing and was mostly reacting to what life threw at me. Honestly, it was such a painful 20s and 30s. I wish someone had told me that these troubles were just temporary and that it all works out in the end. It would’ve certainly eased some of my mental anguish. Hahaha! But who knew, right? Sometimes you just do the best you can under the circumstances you’re in. 

I wanted to give Seth the encouragement to embrace the unknowns and to see setbacks as part of growth. I hope he sees the journey ahead of him with anticipation instead of dread. I hope he gets inspired to take calculated risks and keep moving forward despite mistakes. I hope he realizes that it is because of the painful moments that you truly appreciate joyful experiences. I hope he sees that his faith and his family would give him the soft landing he needs when he fails and that they would help him get back up. Ah, to be young again and to see life as an adventure! 

I carved out Seth and his cat, Noodle, driving into the mountains. In real life, Noodle was a stray cat who visited, never left, and formed a lasting bond with Seth. And that truck? Seth worked so hard to buy his Ford pick-up truck from his grandfather. What a strong work ethic for such a young man! I have no doubt that Seth will do well in whatever endeavor he pursues.