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Fall is the third panel in a four panel series titled "Four Seasons". When we reach Fall we have matured enough to understand that in order to appreciate life we must slow down and enjoy each and every moment. Here the couple enjoys playing on a pinecone while the winds of autumn are blowing. Having a chronic illness for many years I have learned how to slow down, and I remember that shortly after my diagnosis and all the loss that followed I described feeling as though the whole world was blasting past me on a fast train while I was sitting still on the platform watching. Now I understand that being still and observing allows us to experience so much more of life. The couple in this panel is taking the time to just be, while the world is doing.

I rediscovered my love for art and found my passion for oil painting after being diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Fibromyalgia in 2005. Having previously worked as an audiologist and later in pharmaceuticals, chronic disease forced me to abandon my career to stay home and rest. What I didn't know was that a new opportunity was blooming. During this challenging period of change I was encouraged by my son-in-law, a very talented artist, to "just paint", but shortly thereafter we lost him to suicide. Having inherited the contents of his studio, his influence is present in my work. In the early years of learning to cope with all the loss and limitations that came with this chronic disease I felt...