In 1503 Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to paint what is now known as the Mona Lisa. He worked on the painting for up to seven years and finished it shortly before his death in 1519.

What makes this painting so special? Some may say that da Vinci captured the feminine mystique through her equivocal half smile.

Whatever the reason for its fame, no one can argue against its uniqueness.

Though many reproductions of this painting have been made, the canvas housed in the prestigous Louvre Museum in Paris France is the undisputed original.

The Mona Lisa is among the world's most recognizable works of art, but let us suppose there is someone who has never heard of the Mona Lisa or any other notable painting for that matter. This man has had the misfortune of growing up on a deserted island without the benefit of an education in the fine arts.

Then, through some unearthly means, he awakes one morning and finds the original Mona Lisa leaning against a palm tree. After overcoming his surprise at its sudden appearance, he begins to reflect on the painting itself. The artist had created a rather nice portrayal of a sitting woman, and the work is obviously very old. After studying it a while longer, he develops a healthy admiration for da Vinci's creation.

But as time passes, his appreciation for the painting erodes until he begins to view it as dull and ordinary. Then he thinks: it's not the original painting anyway or else why would it be here on this island with me. It's just a cheap copy. At best, it belongs in the back aisle of some outlet store. A few months later, he considers casting the whole thing, smirking woman and all, into the ocean.

So what changed?

The uniqueness of the Mona Lisa was lost because after seeing and touching it day after day, to him, it became commonplace. Familiarity blurred his vision until he could no longer see the painting's grandeur.

Like our stranded island dweller, could we be gazing upon a masterpiece everyday and concluding that it is also unexceptional and commonplace?

Perhaps.

The next time you view an image of our turquoise planet wrapped in swirls of white clouds consider the Mona Lisa.  It may just be the only one of its kind.

<>God's will is one day at a time<>