La vie en rose...

“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” -- Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

From the very first moment I stepped into Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, when I was 8 years old, I was mesmerized by the stained glass windows. Despite having lived walking distance from St. Patrick's, in New York City, I had never fully appreciated or understood the complexity that creates the magical lighting in stained and leaded glass until my first trip to Europe. The diffusion of light, the brilliance of the shine and, the magical glow created by the varying colors, captivated my childlike imagination. I would have been content to sit at the base of each one, allowing the crowds to push past me, as I felt illuminated, warmed and blessed. There was something utterly captivating about my first experience in reveling in the colorful, lustrous streams. It's a feeling that has never left me, and has led me to seek out stained and leaded glass in the many places we've been fortunate enough to visit. While deeply moving, nothing has quite captured the overwhelming delight I felt during my first foray to Notre Dame.

Of all the stained glass seen in churches and cathedrals, none has the symbolism that the Rose Window does. The Rose windows, seen in many churches today, are the large, circular openings that will often have the most ornate 'wheel like' design. The mythology surrounding these windows is as varied as the windows themselves. In the book, "The Da Vinci Code", the rose window idea was said to represent the Virgin Mary, who is a very popular theme in the windows themselves. However, ocular windows are seen in both Jewish synagogues and Muslim mosques, as well. They have been linked to ancient Celtic culture in the form of the endless knot to internal illumination. A Buddhist mandala also bears a remarkable resemblance to the most ardent of Christian rose windows. Their patterns are exceptional and intricate and the effect they have upon the viewer can be profoundly moving.

Because of my enjoyment of stained glass, I've tried to learn more about the process, the creation, the inception and the installation. I have been exceptionally fortunate to know a wonderful artist named Diana Blay. Originally from England, but now living in Maine, Diana, with her late husband, Quentin, helped to create some of the most exceptional glass windows on both sides of the Atlantic. Their company most notably worked in the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. To my untrained and untutored eye, the stained glass itself has always looked divinely placed and as if it's always been there...in any sanctuary I've seen it. From Diana, I've learned the sheer magnitude of work that goes into created even one small window. Beginning with an artist's sketch, called a "cartoon", the multi-step process is long and arduous. Each phase brings another layer to the individual pieces and to the overall theme of the final design. The transportation, installation and final touches are what take indistinct pieces of colored glass into a synergy of radiance. Now in her 80's, Diana has become a dear friend to me, and I enjoy every moment I'm able to spend with her...as well as learning about her work.

The most remarkable aspect to stained glass, in light of the Elizabeth Kubler-Ross quote above, is how much they have the ability to reflect our inner nature. During times of frustration, grief and sorrow, it's very difficult to allow our inner glow to shine. When we are filled with hope and joy, every part of our being glimmers radiantly, as if we ourselves reflect through a rose window. The trick, I believe, is to begin with the artist's sketch of ourselves as we would like to be...as a blueprint and plan. How do we want to appear to the outside world? What colors of the rainbow do we wish to reflect? What stories do we want our lives to tell? How can we create, tiny piece by tiny piece, a remarkable, gleaming stained glass window with our lives? What do we need to do in order for our inner light to shine at all times?

By setting our intention as to what we desire for the "pictures" we want our lives to create, we can outline the path we need to take to achieve them. In doing so, we will find obstacles, glass that break metaphorically and other road blocks. We will need to redraw our plans many times, adjusting our 'cartoon' to fit the next step. And yet, when we are done, we will have created something more magnificent than even the Rose Window at Notre Dame.