My Lake Is Still and Silent

By Betty Schriver
Blind Bay, BC

I wake up in my warm bed and listen to my heart thumping. It’s a quiet thump but evident no less, and I breathe a sigh of relief and gratefulness. I look around at the sun shining through the spaces between the door and it’s frame, bright and hopeful, and sneakily get up as not to wake my husband or dog. I go to see my lake. It’s mass surrounds my window and I am in awe. It’s my first view every morning. My lake is still and silent, but strong and gives me peace.

I wished my brother had been able to see the lake. He never enjoyed travelling and now it will never be. It’s hard to imagine him gone now at such a young age.

My thoughts travel to my sister in Alberta. I am wondering how she is doing this morning. I check Facebook, because I know she’s an early riser, and sometimes has a morning post that leaves indications. Her husband, like me, had a heart attack, however unlike me, he passed and it’s changed everything for her. We all are still reeling from the massive blows that life has thrown us. I am not sure why I got to get up this morning and look out my window, and he didn’t. Was it something surreal, like God expecting something more from me? That my earth life still needed me here? Or was it as ordinary as simply my heart being a little stronger? If all these incidents didn’t leave us numb from shock, certainly the pandemic around us, is a continued reminder of the frailty of life.

But I feel like I’ve survived the worst, and now I need to just be persistent to be resilient. Day by day, doing what needs to be done, the next right thing. I think it’s strange how despite there having been so much turmoil and distress in my life this year, that I can feel calm and restored with the routine here at home. The regular and repetitive cleaning feels empowering. The morning walks at different locations around the lake, strengthens me and feeds my soul. The tending of gardens is helping nurture life around me. Each task is simple and enables me time to grieve and time to absorb the essence of life and my environment. And my lake — it’s is still and silent, but strong and gives me peace.

These paintings were completed during the Covid 19 pandemic and resonates how home at the lake makes the unbearable bearable. It has been difficult times for many reasons, but also for many others as well, as we all do what we need to, in order to find strength and peace.

Copper Island from McArthur Heights — framed original Acrylic on Canvasboard

Reedman Point from the Highlands — Framed Original Acrylic on Canvas Board

Near the Wharf in Salmon Arm — Framed Original Acrylic on Canvas Board

Shuswap Sunset — Framed Original Acrylic on Canvasboard

On the Roadside Coming Home — Framed original acrylic on canvas board

The Fisherman — framed original acrylic on canvas

Art in the Shuswap — Original Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

My Lake is Still and Silent,
Copyright © Betty Schriver, 2020
Paintings are available at artintheshuswap.com Artist Betty Schriver