WELCOME PINEAPPLE
The pineapple is the perfect metaphor for welcoming the challenges of life so that you can receive the blessings that are waiting for you.
Life happens! Knowing how to navigate the rough prickly exterior and crazy crown will lead to the sweet fruit inside.
WELCOME PINEAPPLE
The pineapple is the perfect metaphor for welcoming the challenges of life so that you can receive the blessings that are waiting for you.
Life happens! Knowing how to navigate the rough prickly exterior and crazy crown will lead to the sweet fruit inside.
OUR STORY: THE AHUJA FAMILY
Our story is an exciting journey that includes bringing home our beautiful baby from Guatemala. After years of researching and learning about US adoption and International adoption, we were introduced to our 6-day old baby boy, John Carlos and we fell absolutely in love with him.
Being the expectant mother of an adopted child is an emotional rollercoaster ride (without all the visits to the gynecologist). I will never forget the day we brought John Carlos home and we took our first family picture. My heart still skips a beat remembering how perfect that moment felt.
Just as all families have challenges raising their children, we learned that there are additional post-adoption challenges that can impact behavioral, financial, social, educational and mental health for all members of the family.
Finding a safe place to discuss issues related to adoption can be difficult. There are professional resources but they all come with a hefty financial burden and time commitment for the adoptive family. Focusing on meeting the needs of the adopted child, often the primary caregivers are left to deal with the chaos left behind.
For me, art became a safe outlet to let off some steam and express my stress in trying to navigate the challenges of raising three children. I went to my studio and painted about the things that were on my mind: how much money therapy cost, constant defiance/disobedience, fear of getting hurt, shame when I lost control, embarrassment, cultural differences, anger, condescending remarks, medication, police reports, family health, etc.
At that time I rented a studio in a local art gallery. On Saturday mornings, art buyers would visit my studio while I was working. As my guests looked at the dozens and dozens of pineapple paintings, they started to inquire about the reason I was painting so many pineapples. As I talked about my connection with pineapples and my struggles with adoption, I found a support system. Not only was I able to educate my audience, but I was able to offer comfort for their own struggles.
Why the pineapple? After I painted over 100+ pineapples, I realized there must be a deeper meaning for me. Researching the pineapple and its role in our culture, I learned it is a symbol of friendship and hospitality. Due to the healing properties of the Bromelain enzyme, it has also come to represent health and healing.
Painting the different aspects of the pineapple from the prickly outside, the sweet inside, the crown, the color palette, healing qualities, friendship and decay symbolized different challenges of adoption including hospitality, sweet moments, rough outsides, storms, expectations, failures, disappointment, and emotional/mental/spiritual healing.
Pineapples are a perfect metaphor for raising awareness to the challenges of post-adoption in children from other countries because they are a safe and fun symbol to start respectful conversations about a social, political, economical and spiritual topic. Talking about how adoption can affect the family in a respectful and safe environment allows families to work through tough issues.
WHAT IS THE WELCOME PINEAPPLE PROJECT?
The purpose of the Welcome Pineapple Project (WPP) is to raise awareness of the post-adoption challenges of international adoption. But over the years it has become a symbol of welcoming the challenges of life. We all have challenges that impact our lives, but it is when we can welcome the chaos and challenges, that we are set up to receive the blessing too.
November is National Adoption Month. We celebrate the Welcome Pineapple Party every year and Pineapple Sales in the month of November are donated to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. On Giving Tuesday, with the support of the community, I donate thousands of dollars to help other families who need financial support in the adoption and foster care system.
The pineapple paintings are supporting many other social causes… any challenges in life. At Karen Ahuja Studio, we provide Pineapple paintings at cost to raise funds for any challenge in life. Proceeds go to support your passion for creating positive social change. If you have a passion you would like to submit to the Welcome Pineapple Project, please contact Karen at her studio.