111 Day Artistic Spirit Pledge: Spiritual Growth Through Creative Expression
Day 100: Un-Bridled Emotion (Part 5)
(The original piece of fiction below is a continuation of the story written on Day 38, Day 63, Day 71 and Day 88 of the pledge.)
Christmas came and went in a blur of family, friends, and food. Shari felt immensely thankful to have so many wonderful people in her life to help distract her from thinking about Malcolm. There were some questions after her nephew Jack relayed the events of their surprise encounter, but she’d smiled and played it off as unimportant.
The new year couldn’t come quickly enough, and as she stared at the countdown clock in the hotel lounge, she willed time to speed up. Though her personal life hit the skids this year, at least her professional life flourished. She knew the job interview went well and wondered whether she’d be celebrating next New Year’s Eve 3,000 miles away.
“A penny for your…”
Shari flinched at the sound of his voice and spilled her glass of champagne on Malcolm’s black suit jacket. She instinctively dabbed the damp material with her cocktail napkin and apologized for her clumsiness. Then, she cursed under her breath and removed her hand from his arm.
“You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that.”
“Eh, at least we’re now even from the popcorn incident.”
She opened her mouth to respond, but figured engaging him wouldn’t be the wisest idea. After an awkward moment of silence, she hoped he’d get the hint and go back to whatever date he brought with him.
“So,” he continued. “How was Christmas? Did Marie fly out this year? How is Grandma Ella’s health?”
“She’s fine. They’re all fine,” she quickly retorted and resumed her gaze towards the ever-slowing clock.
“Good, I’m glad to hear that.”
She could feel him watching her, and it took all her strength to ignore him.
“Shari, I wanted to…”
She shook her head emphatically. “No,” she declared with a wave of her hand. “Not here and not now.” She faced him, all her pain and anger brimming at the surface.
10…9…8…7
“Just leave me alone. You’re good at that.”
5…4…
Her hand clasped his when she turned to walk away, and the room went silent.
3…2…
As the crowd erupted and music played in the background, Shari stared at her past and wondered how she’d ever move forward.
**I am an Artistic Spirit! For most of my life I’ve used the creative arts as a source of spiritual exploration and healing, even though I didn’t always do so consciously. Sometimes I was the instrument creating the art and other times I was on the receiving end. The connection between art and spirituality is so significant in my life that it’s infused into everything I do. I love music, theatre, television drama series (daytime and primetime), and creative writing and find fulfillment in artistic expression of various sorts: singing, acting, and jewelry design. Throughout the next 11 days, I’ll delve into how all of the above strengthens my spirit and has saved my life on more than one occasion.**
Kelly Deeny 