Gentleness, Gratitude & Grief

I am gathering inspiration for new pieces and hoping to start working again in my studio next week. This is a beautiful bunch created by my dear clever brother Joseph. I didn't get a chance to thank you all last year for your beautiful thoughts, words of encouragement, love, gentleness and kindness. I sincerely appreciate it.

This year I think is about just 'being'. It's about opening to the new. It's a year that I will tread very gently amongst the people, places, conversations, gatherings, celebrations, memories and so forth. This year is about taking deep breaths and to continue to do my best on any given day. It's about rising each day without expectations but with the knowledge that what will be, will be. It's about being grateful for all I have experienced and yet to experience. And in the end it will be what I make it!

These last 8 weeks have totally floored me! It's been a grief that has been so overwhelming at times, it's hard to breathe. Franny used to get so mad when I said "Go Gently", but I feel this is the only way to go at the moment and into the future. Gentleness carries you and holds you when you need softness to soothe your pains, worries and the lessons life throws at you.

Grief is like a huge wave that bowls you over with such force that it takes your breath away but then there is the peace, the time to catch your breath. Marty, our beautiful brother explains the grief journey in such a wise way. 'The waves still knock you over but they just get further apart'! I'm grateful for the waves, as hard as they are, because it shows that this special person made an impact on our lives. The hurt is the price you pay for love and I would never want to change that. It's incredibly difficult and the trauma in losing someone so suddenly is heartbreaking. And there is no way to 'flower' that up as it is just how it is and that really 'sucks'!

A lot of things seem so trivial when you have experience losing someone special. It makes you look at the big picture. I am taking each moment at a time.

Here's to the now and loving deeply.

Love Steph xx