Seven years ago, my mom started a street painting festival in my hometown. After attending a festival while on vacation in Florida, Mom came home and said it would be wonderful to bring street painting to Tivoli.

A lot of hard work, organizing and promoting later, Broadway of our hometown was transformed by works of art. The first year and each year that followed, Mom worried that no one would show up and the festival would be a flop. So, my sisters and I always promised to paint a picture, so no matter what Mom would know there would at least be some paintings. Of course people always came and her worries were for nothing.
Every year in the months and weeks before the event, my sister, Maria, and I did demonstrations to help explain that street painting is really drawing with chalk and to show how much fun it is to promote the festival. Maria street painted at schools, the local fair, you-name-it all to build awarness and help bring artists to Tivoli.

Well, all the promotion worked and the festival got too big for just my mom to run it, so a year ago, Mom asked if the town could take over and run it. Thankfully, they agreed.

Because my mom was always so busy running the event, she never got a chance to actually participate. This year, Mom painted a square for the first time. (That's her with the brightly colored MARIA, and I did the one of the angel.) As mom put it, Maria painted for me for years, so this year I'm painting for her.

I could feel my sister's love all day and I'm sure heaven is smiling tonight.