The Soup Diva

I have a nearly lifelong love of Vincent Van Gogh. It began with his paintings of irises, because they were my Mom’s favorite flower and my father always kept flower boxes full of them in front of our house. As I grew older and developed a love of stars (both real and figurative), The Starry Night became my favorite painting of all time (and still is). The more I have learned about the artist as well as the man, the more I admire his vision and his gift in the midst of his illness. A recent book I read compares his life and work with that of Henri Nouwen, another Dutchman I admire greatly for many of the same reasons.

It is currently Labor Day weekend, and I have taken part of it to celebrate Vincent. A dear friend and I traveled to Atlanta for Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, which was heartbreaking in the way it allowed the viewer to see the world through his eyes, both the beauty and the darkness. I introduced my friend to ramen for lunch, and we visited an indoor international farmer’s market. Today while I am off from work, I have watched the 2017 film Loving Vincent and the Doctor Who episode Vincent and the Doctor (which makes me cry every time), and listened to Vincent by Don McLean.