The Legend of the Starry Night

Vincent was a man who lived in shadows.
But through the pain and darkness that enshrouded him,
his heart only saw the sky.

I have always been drawn to Van Gogh. At first I only knew him from the song, but something about him called to me. At an age when I was too young to fully appreciate his story, I found in Vincent a kindred spirit. His sadness spoke to the restless in mine, and I found solace in his song and works of art.

Only later did I found out the truth about his tragic life. The judgment and rejection he suffered, the sense of failure he struggled with, his journey to the edge of sanity, the endless fall from grace, the death by his own hands.

Starry Night, Van Gogh's masterpiece, was painted from the depths of his suffering. While imprisoned in an asylum, Van Gogh painted the night sky as he saw it through the bars of his prison window: a darkness awash with magnificent colors.

Van Gogh's Starry Night is hope captured. In his darkness, he kept his colors alive. His was the hope that overcomes the shadows. His was a spirit that shatters the dark. By his life we are reminded that through the many chains that hold us in bondage, we can choose to look for brighter skies.

May our lives be like the Starry Night.
That through the darkness, we can see life with a thousand light.