The Promise of Death

Not morbid to me at all, but a reminder of the preciousness of each moment of life, is death.  As the author of a book on the subject and a passionate speaker on the  topic I have merged my writing once again with my art creating a line of sympathy cards.  Among my favorite quotes on the subject of loss is this, "Grief is yet another song the heart must sing to open the gate of all there is". This is often the verse I use for my handmade cards.  None of us will be spared the song of grief, and we never really get over it.  Instead, we make room for grief and our wounds become a part of who we are. Grief carves deeply into our souls, but that cavern makes a wider place for joy to fill, for pain and happiness come from the same place within us.  While I truly feel great sympathy for any loss another faces, I do believe it is the shared truth that we all must face loss and death that is the heart and soul of our connection to one another. Our certain knowledge that all of this is fleeting is what makes moments so sweet and gives love its greatest power.

Living, Loving, Letting Go

How can so much time go by between posts? I am always busy with art and work, I intend to share more, but such is life- plans are set aside for what really happens.  It is all about letting go of what we think for what is, letting go of plans and expectations and embracing what happens, good and bad, joyous times and life's sadder days, they shape us into who we are.  These past few years have brought me new lessons in letting go of what I thought was to be and have blessed me with the greatest of rewards as I witness life unfold as it was meant to, not as I thought it should be.  This time of tremendous growth has broadened my spirit in ways I could never have foreseen.  Wounds do not really heal, they simply become a part of us and if we are brave enough to live the dark times fully, the brighter days are even more glorious.  These two pieces depict a couple of my greatest losses, but celebrate how they shaped me and how much I rejoice in those relationships I have cherished.

Passionate Love

Happy Valentine's Day - This day and everyday, love with all you've got.  Passion is about being fully committed, fully engaged, fully present - not necessarily about the kind of passion we usually associate physical passion, though that too is wonderful. Passion can and should be a part of all that we do- whether creating, cooking, working, cleaning, exercising, eating, listening, seeing, loving - doing what we do with intention and a sense of purpose can allow for the ordinary moments of life to become sacred, because they are, each one will never come again and marks a passage of time on this incredible journey of life. Here are the Valentine's I made for my children and their partners, each collage holds some symbolism about their lives and the message is the same because each of my children has been enhanced by the partnerships they have formed, each has blossomed more fully with the loves in their lives. We have never been so blessed.