Rockwell painting expresses resiliency

I believe Armen D. Bacon misses the point of Norman Rockwell’s painting of Thanksgiving. The happy scene does not deny the reality of loss in these celebrants’ lives, nor should it be “troubling, even torturous to view.” Bad things have happened to all of us in varying degrees, but the good news is that those losses need not color all the other experiences of our lives.

There is a place where those wounds to the heart, past or still in progress, may be healed, and thus lose their power to deny us the rest of the joys of living. Mr. Rockwell’s picture is not a false ideal, but rather it portrays how we express our resiliency by celebrating in spite of all that is hurtful and bad.

The Rockwell family members celebrate Thanksgiving for what they have, in spite of what they may have lost, and the very act of celebration gives strength for whatever is to come.

This story was originally published December 1, 2016 at 11:38 AM with the headline "Rockwell painting expresses resiliency."