Thoughts on the newly-found Van Gogh painting

The news today was that they found a painting that now has been proven to be by Van Gogh. It is beautiful! Van Gogh always makes me think of my dad--I still have a large book he bought for me once with large reproductions of his paintings. Van Gogh's sorrowful life and unrecognized genius have always attracted me, and I did ask my dad for that book when we were browsing a bookstore together one day after my college years.

Papai was a big-city engineer, and very busy, but in many ways he had the soul of an artist. Alongside his regular-studies, he also graduated from the Music Conservatory on Rio de Janeiro, but by the time I was growing up he didn't play the piano very often. When asked, he would say that he wouldn't want to play beautiful music badly, ill-prepared. He played some Bach, and Chopin at times... and I remember so vividly how much of his heart he poured into his performing. I am certain that Number Five has inherited this from him, as it comes completely naturally in her, especially so when performing at a recital.

I learned from him that appreciating Art is wonderful. It is a way of loving God, and expressing gratitude. So when I read the news today, I thought of my dad, and of how fortunate I am.