Letter to My Mother - Today, I must tell you about my walk in the great Park, which was so unlike any other time I have walked there.  The buildings, so large, always so present, that always seem like a range of mountains ringing the green center of the City, had softened and all but disappeared in the mist and the fog.  Normally, when I take my midday walk, the Park is filled with bustling people who seem not to notice the beauty all around them or to enter into the serenity of this remarkable place.  But today, the rain seems to have kept them all away.  Foolish people!  This soft spring rain, lovely and gentle, is warm like the breath of a sleeping child, nothing to hide from.  It takes me back to those rainy afternoons, long ago, when I used to climb into your big 'reading chair' and cuddle close beside you.  We would sit by the big window, snug and dry while water was streaming down, and slip away to other worlds.  Those were sweet days, and today I am taking that magical journey again.  What are wet shoes and a damp skirt compared with the joy of remembering those precious times and - in the midst of this bustling world - feeling you once again close beside me.

Author's Statement

Gail O'Donnell is a consultant and free-lance writer whose career and experiences have included theatrical and event producing, the creation and management of special projects, theatre directing, acting, visual and fabric arts, music, and the study of literature.

"Spring Rain spoke to me on so many levels. I lived in New York for many years and raised my daughter there. She and I spent countless hours in Central Park, and, when I studied this lovely work, it evoked strong memories. As I viewed the painting and wrote about it, I felt myself once again there, walking again with her - very powerful feelings, indeed. There are many avenues for creativity, and having several of them converge in The Art of Storytelling has been illuminating. It was tremendously satisfying to apply my love of language to the visual and emotional experience created by Spring Rain. Merging two disciplines is thought-provoking and slightly tricky, and I trust that those who hear our stories while viewing the artworks will find themselves in another dimension, as I did. Thank you to the Delaware Art Museum and Night Kitchen for building this project and opening such an interesting door. I was happy and excited to turn the handle and enter."

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