NANCY CHICHIOCO-RAZON
This artwork is richly layered with leaves and textured medium, echoing the quiet accumulation of a life lived fully. Each art element speaks of time—of seasons passed, of stories held, of grace that has gently shaped the soul.
This piece reflects the passage into the later stages of life—a threshold that invites two possible responses: to shrink in fear, or to open in hope.
One path acknowledges the natural fears—the softening of the body, the shifting of roles, the quiet surrender of control and certainty. These are real, human, and tender.
Yet, there is another way of seeing things, changing our outlook about aging.
Aging can also be a sacred unfolding—a season experienced not by loss, but by grace.
It carries the warmth and movement of autumn—a sacred season of transition. Here, there is a spiritual invitation: to let go, to release with gratitude, and to trust the gentle flow into what is yet to come. Like leaves surrendering to the wind, there is beauty not in holding on, but in yielding.
In this sacred descent, there is also transcendence. To be “carried by flow” is to trust in something greater than oneself—to release the need to control, and to rest in divine movement. To let go, and to let God lead.
Inspired by the talk of Fr. Jordan Orbe, SJ, given at Our Lady of Pentecost Parish on “Aging Gracefully.”
nancy, I can resonate, love the 3rd paragraph.
thank you
May we all have God’s blessing to go thru this stage of life with grace. I choose hope instead of fear but I can only do this with God’s grace, with Him leading me 24 hrs no day off no break. Thank you for this very appropriate sharing and the beautiful painting. Little did I know that our experience together in corporate life will evolve into this friendship.
What a beautiful way to describe aging! Letting go and letting God lead.
Amen to this! Grateful for the past learnings, embrace the present with gratitude and grace, and remain hopeful for the future (the latter is taken day by day, week by week, month by month, year to year).🙏❤️
I resonate with most of your reflection, especially the two streams in aging- not opposites, necessarily- but two forces that, if handled in faith, hope and supported with love, merge into a beautiful harmony. That is what I am presently ‘struggling’ with -in faith, Hope and supported with the love of persons closest to me! The struggle is not free of pain but pain is transformed by the sense of a new Beginning!
Thank you for making me better understand what I am passing through. God bless you, Nancy!
Such a profound reflection on ageing and how it relates to your painting. It gave me a better perspective of the reality of ageing. That ageing could be viewed as a time defined by grace rather than decline. Like the season of autumn, it invites us to let go of the past with gratitude and trust the natural transition. To move with this “sacred flow” is to relinquish control and find peace, allowing the divine to lead the way. “To let go and let God!”
Nancy, you express your thoughts so beautifully in your paintings. You’ve helped me see more clearly the changes that come with aging—and how to respond to them.
I choose hope: an optimistic, positive outlook. With hope comes peace of mind, happiness, joy, and a deeper trust in God—allowing Him to take the wheel. And that is always best.