As events unfold, circumstances plummet her into situations where she is forced to make some momentous decisions that will help her eventually come to terms with her own nature. Laura ultimately discovers her true calling in life and the artist she was destined to be. This singular existence illustrates the challenges that shape the depth and unique character of the self.
"It was about dusk when she had finally finished. She put her brush down and gave out an audible sigh. She felt that she and that painting had somehow magically united with God, or at least her idea of creation. Her spirit had gone beyond the limits of her body, or of gravity for that matter, and now seemed to reside in a very separate and special place. She felt luminous like the star that gives life to its planet. She felt vaporous like the moon and wild like the wind. She was enveloped by a panoply of glorious emotions and inundated by the kind of understanding she imagined the Buddha must have felt. She felt great humility and arrogance at the same time. Her entire life and its meaning seemed lucid and brilliant like a finely shaped crystal." |