Seasons of God’s beautiful creation
“When I enter my studio, I feel the sacred air.
Brightness of the candle flame, smoke of the incense, and smell of tea …
At that moment my heart becomes pure,
An armful of flowers in the sacred air, softness of sea air …
As I fill my room with heaven, words of prayer dwell deep inside my heart —
the beginning of creation.”
—Maryknoll Sister Yoo Soo Kim, “Mother’s Garden”
I grew up in the small country town of Ko Chang in Korea. In front of our house we had a big garden of vegetables and flowers growing together. Early one morning, my mom called to me, “Yoo Soo, Yoo Soo, come out and see.” As I was still in the comfort of my bed, I sighed, “Mom, please …” But, she persisted. “Oh! Look at this. Come,” she said. Thinking that something urgent happened, I dragged myself outside to where she was. “Look,” she said, pointing at the flower garden. “The lily just opened.”
My parents are my greatest teachers. They taught me how to connect with, be in harmony with, and how to live with nature. Almost every weekend my parents would take my sisters, brother and I on outdoor excursions.
Summers were highlighted with visits to the river and ocean for fishing and picnics, dancing and singing. Springtime was marked with mountain strolls through pathways laden with cherry blossoms, purple flowers and other delights of varying shapes and sizes, textures, delicate colors and sweet scents. Fall, however was even more beautiful than spring with the changing colors of the leaves.
Winter was the only season we spent more time at home. We made snowmen outside and played games in the house while listening to the great stories of my daddy. From those tales and experiences we learned real wisdom.
My mom had a natural appreciation for the beauty of every single thing. From her we learned about herbal medicine and what tree, leaf, flower or root was good for distinct ailments. When we went walking, she would often stop and gently say, “Yoo Soo, can you smell it?” Then she would pluck a leaf and let us know what it was good for.
My mom also often placed pressed flowers and leaves between the layers of rice paper that made up our windows. The shades of light shadowed through them were beautiful. From watching her repair the delicate windows, I learned to cut rice paper into special designs and hand paint them creating my own art.
My mission is my art. Catholics and non-Catholics have found appreciation and sometimes healing through my art. Inspiration doesn’t come all the time. Like tending a garden, sometimes the wait can be long before seeing the seeds sprout. Nonetheless, at the beginning of each day I go outside and say hello to God in the garden. I pick a few flowers or leaves to bring inside to offer at my prayer table and the dining table. I offer these in appreciation for God’s beautiful work of creation.
And as these remind me of God’s creativity, I know as I patiently wait and listen to the whispers of the butterflies, and take in all the color combinations and fragrances surrounding, that in its own season, inspiration in my art will stir again.
Sister Yoo Soo Kim is a Maryknoll Sister. She is a professional contemplative artist, photographer and liturgical dancer. She has held eight solo exhibitions and 64 group exhibitions in Korea and throughout the United States. At the Maryknoll Sisters house in Kailua she tends her beautiful garden. She has been professed 31 years.
