Sep 23, 2025—Near Mt. Shasta, I came across a petite statue of Mother Mary tucked at the edge of the forest. She stood among tall mullein, their golden spires glowing in the late light, while the air carried the dry, herbal scent of the stalks. The trees folded behind her like a velvet curtain. She looked delicate, almost shy, and though chipped and weathered, there was no mistaking her strength—like she had been holding her post for centuries. Statues of the Virgin Mary often appear this way: quiet, steady, and timeless.
A Statue in the Ashes
I am reminded of a friend who lost her home in the Carr Fire in Redding. When she returned to the ruins, nearly everything was obliterated. Yet there stood a concrete Madonna her mother had given her—blackened, but upright. At that moment, the statue became more than stone. Instead, it was a survivor. It was grace personified. The clearest sign that life would somehow go on.
What Mother Mary Offers
Beyond fire and forest, statues of the Madonna turn up in the most ordinary places—front yards, roadside shrines, corners of neighborhoods. Sometimes she shines under candlelight; other times she leans weathered and chipped against a fence. Wherever you find her, her bowed head and open arms seem to whisper the same thing: you are not judged, only loved. It’s going to be okay.
Lessons in Stillness
Mother Mary, in addition to being the revered and literal mother of Christ, represents universal values of devotional motherhood: wisdom, resilience, and boundless tenderness. In Buddhism, Kwan Yin offers similar qualities to the Eastern world. Mother Mary crosses boundaries of belief. Steady, gentle, unshaken, speaking courage and softness in equal measure, she appears in gardens and homes across cultures and beliefs. In a world that races forward, she teaches stillness. In the middle of loss, she offers courage. She reminds us that gentleness is a kind of power.
Art and Emotional Weather
When you gaze at art you love, the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex—the guardians of mood and fear in our brains—shift into harmony. Just from the act of gazing! Science shows what we have long suspected: beauty balances mood, easing anxiety and brightening emotional skies (Bolwerk et al., 2024).
Ditto for Mother Mary, she lifts my heart entirely! Though I don’t normally paint figures, when I found this Madonna at the edge of wilderness, I knew I would make an exception. I hope you enjoy the gentle love of Mother Mary in this painting. Click the image to learn more.
Mary in the Mullein, 30 x 24 inches, 2019, oil on canvas by Lauren Forcella
.
Thank you for reading. I warmly invite you to
.
