60 Shades of Grey

Wendy VanReisen is a multi-talented woman - an actress, artist, writer and designer who now lives among the First Nations people on Haida Gwaii on Canada's west coast. I was lucky enough to be on stage with her in 1996, and with her skill and big heart, she reminded me what theatre is really about. She sends out a blog periodically and here's a beautiful piece that came today:

60 Shades of Grey: My Year in Masset

When I was a young girl, I lived with my aunt and grandma. My grandma Lila had grey hair. I loved her. Sometimes her hair was blue-grey and sometimes purple-grey, depending on the number of washes since her bluing ‘rinse’ at the hairdressers. But if you asked me what colour her hair was I would have simply said “grey”.

March is my birthday month (since one day will no longer suffice). On the 21^st I will be 60 years old and it is abundantly clear to me that, rinse or no rinse, grey is not one colour. Nor is it simply colour-less as a scientist might quip. In the art world, adding grey to any colour is said to ‘sadden’ the colour. I say AGEISM!!!! Grey, rather than lacking the colour of the freshly blossomed bud, is the ash left from the glorious burning of every petal. My abundant 60 shades of grey float not only through my hair but, like Mt. St. Helen’s, blanket the wider world and drift deep into my bones. I am more compassionate, empathetic, kind, arthritic, forgiving, loving, gracious, fat, fearless, outspoken, wrinkled, creative, giving, free, passionate, near-sighted, accepting, inviting, generous, old, helpful, humble, inviting and grey then I ever thought possible. I am very thankful for my rich life. I am very thankful for all the connections I have made with others. I am very thankful to be alive.

Thank you, Wendy, from one grey bird to another. Me too. Happy 60th birthday.