It’s rare people who use their heart to search for soul.
These sorts of folks kindly embrace neighbor and community while most of us remain too busy, apathetic or cynical to care.
Once in a while, though, we’ll take notice.
When we look, we see that their goodness is the sort that finds holiness in all faces, seeks beauty in every encounter.
Even their daily work seems purposeful and grace-filled. They may be aware of darkness, but look for light.
If these neighbors of ours happen to be artists, too, then we’re really in luck!
They often capture lovely truths in and among us using pictures, poems, stories and melodies, showing us the humanity in our humanness and communion in our being together.
In Milton we have such a special person: Patti Silva, a transplant from California who says she has found in Milton a true home.
And while many Milton folks sit back contentedly enjoying privacy and space, Silva is out in Milton looking for stories to tell and photos to take.
She’s the restive artist needing to notice the red barn in the green field with the black fence, and then needing to tell people about it.
And while we might wonder who owns that red barn, Silva will walk the long gravel drive to find out. She has come to know many of the old-timers of Milton simply because she has made the effort.
To chronicle it all, Silva has created a stunning blog site called “Miltonville,” which she hopes to unveil soon in its new incarnation, “Milton Country Store.”
The sites feature deeply colored photographs of pastoral Milton scenes, interesting Milton people, gorgeous horses and lots of red barns.
Present, too, are touching stories of longtime residents — especially those willing to share memories, pictures, recipes and wisdom.
“You can feel the soul of the people who made this place,” Silva has told me. “Their spirit is alive in the land, in that dirt under every roadside garden and on every road we travel, in old barns and country stores. It’s magical and beautiful, really.”
When not working on her new site, Silva, a wife and mother, is civically active in Milton and the force behind “The Milton Love Project,” a movement of good will toward residents facing sickness or tough times.
She plants yellow sunflowers (artificial in winter) and a red heart sign in neighbors’ yards to offer cheer.
Not surprisingly, she has other community-building ideas.
I’m not sure Silva realizes it, but she’s now a part of the Milton story.
Veronica Buckman lives in Milton. Reach her at vrbuck01@aol.com.
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