ThisHealingHeart

I found one antidote to overwhelm was quiet. Inviting quiet might seem like a simple thing, but allowing myself to settle into the silent time I needed was not easy. When I was grieving, I wished to seek distractions to avoid facing my pain rather than sitting with my wounded heart and listening to what it had to tell me. Now, I have come to appreciate the value of silence, which brings me comfort and inspiration. I suppose it has…

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Loss of any kind can be overwhelming. The feelings of overwhelm showed up in different ways for me. At first, I was in shock and couldn’t truly comprehend that my husband was gone. I knew it on one level but struggled to accept the reality for many months. There was the initial shock of loss, during which my mind couldn’t fathom that my husband was gone. I knew it on one level, but struggled to actually come to terms with…

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Taoists believe that there is continuity that flows through everything in the universe. It touches and connects everything in all times, places and dimensions. They believe this continuity is present in all parts of us including our body and spirit. It connects us to everyone and everything within and around us.The Taoists call this connectivity The Golden Thread. It is a spiritual concept that binds us all. I was introduced to this idea while accompanying my husband to his demanding…

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I stitched this little heart to symbolize the usually unexpected triggers that seemed to pierce my heart during the healing process. These were often in the form of an innocent or casual comment, an intrusive memory, or even a tiny detail occurring in everyday life. During those times, my heart often felt like a pincushion, and it still does occasionally. However, I made an effort to acknowledge and nurture the hope I held within. The small feather I found in…

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As I worked through my grief and loneliness, feelings of vulnerability, uncertainty, and anxiety seemed to be my constant companions. Could I ever feel comfortable in a life without my husband? What sort of life would that be? This piece was inspired by the metaphor of a garden growing hopefully to enclose my anxiety and doubts. Thinking of this positive imagery helped me to cope with the distress I was feeling.I used tiny gemstones, glitter and many scraps of paper…

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Suffering a loss can sometimes result in personal growth and resilience, offering unexpected opportunities for self-discovery. Rather than labeling these newly revealed possibilities as “gifts,” I prefer to view them as offerings. Unlike a gift, an offering provides the bereaved with more freedom to select what is helpful at any given moment, without the expectation of acceptance. I combined black Japanese lace paper representing grief with colorful iridescent paper representing hope shining through to create this canvas background. I’ve been…

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