FOR THOMAS WITH LOVE: THE HUMMINGBIRD AND DIMETRODON

FOR THOMAS WITH LOVE (art by Aunt Hallelujah Truth)

I lost my nephew Thomas one year ago today, and as I approached the anniversary of his death, I started feeling like a dinosaur was sitting on my head. Since I have the tendency to think and feel in visual terms, I accepted this particular image and began drawing it to articulate more of what I was feeling. 

This image that I drew today for Thomas is my fourth image expressing "a dinosaur is sitting on my head." But the hummingbird person represents Thomas, and he has a Dimetrodon sitting on his head, which any paleontologist will tell you is not a dinosaur!

What does this series of images mean? And what about Thomas?

This is what I can tell you. We can imagine and re-imagine ourselves and others. Even though Thomas is not physically here on Mother Earth with us, I can sense his presence in those he has left behind and in my heart.

THE SYMBOLIC VALUE OF AN IMAGE

Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds know a lot about flowers and how to extract the essence from them. They are fast flyers and can fly backwards, hence becoming a symbol of reflection. Hummingbirds are also playful and independent. Ultimately, these fascinating nectar drinking birds can teach us about how to find the miracle elixirs in our lives.

Dimetrodon
A Dimetrodon is not a dinosaur even though it is often confused with one. It is more closely related to mammals -- you and me--than a reptile. In this image with the hummingbird, the Dimetrodon has symbolic value because of this confusion of thinking something is one way but finding out it is something altogether different.


So this morning, I spent time with Thomas and his essence and made this image to speak to him about life, both its joys and its confusions.