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Artwork by
Jennifer Albin of Soul Whisper Arts
Jennifer’s art
holds a very important place in my journey to healing. Multiple pieces of
her work sit in sacred spaces on my mantle of remembrance to Matty. I practice a
form of self-care with every piece I own. A gift for me that re-gifts itself many times over. Jennifer’s artwork is created from
her soul and helps me to touch my own. They bring me comfort and guide me into
introspection that delivers growth. I’ve looked at this piece daily for near
four years and in working with Hope, the whispers are becoming a song—a new
birth.
Hope—if I sit in stillness, open my heart and
listen intently, I can hear her speak to me.
"I welcome you in all stages of your mourning and
grieving. I welcome you in your sadness, in your tears. I welcome you when you
share your joy, discover inspiration, and in the great sigh of an A'ha moment,
when you celebrate your insights."
"I whisper to you 'healing is a process'
as I invite my friends Patience, Trust and Belief to join me in holding you
close. I acknowledge your pain, the breaking of your heart as the result of
physically losing your child.”
"I applaud you as you release your fears
and doubts and I hear your whispers back to me 'Love never dies.' I wipe away a
tear of joy as we now speak the same language. I sit in awe and wonder as I
observe your growth in kindness, empathy and compassion. Your pain softens and
your heart continues to heal. I marvel at your persistence and tenacity as you
tackle the very hard work that encircles you on all fronts—emotionally,
physically, socially, and spiritually as you mourn and grieve.”
"I hold your hand tightly as you learn that Grief is not
to be shied away from and neither is happiness and finding your way back to
life. I am grateful for your embrace on good and not so good days. I cheer you
on as you realize a newfound relationship with your child in spirit. I applaud
the signs he sends as a “Hello” and “I Love you”. I feel pride as I watch you
strive to navigate this world beyond the veil. As much as your child and
Spirit's thoughts and words delivered by whatever method of communication connected
you—provided comfort, support and uplift when needed—it was the experience of
feeling, starting, stopping, moving forward and backward; learning to live in
the chaos of the emotions that took up residence in your heart, this is where
and when and how your awareness began to repair the brokenness."
"Through this hard work of mourning and grieving, you have
uncovered gifts of joy, received blessings and grace along your path. Your
child walks with you in spirit; by your side, guiding you along the way. I
knock on the door of your soul reaching beyond your heart in prayer to
God our Great Father, asking that your soul be touched in this process;
transformed by Divine Love, so much bigger than human love."
"I may not have been visible at first, simply a seed
planted for growth. As you discovered that seed, your grief shifted—I became
visible through the lens of your heart. We have blended you and I, as we've
moved forward these past years. You have found a level of peace that lies atop an
undercurrent of melancholy—a signal that there is more heart work to be done."
"How did you arrive at this place you find yourself
today? You were brought to me by despair and I was so happy to meet you. I take
a look back and remember that your journey so far could not have been imagined
in early grief. Through sadness and tears, by grabbing hold of hands extended,
by giving, receiving and sharing, you walked your path. You borrowed the hope
of others when you thought my light dimmed. You realized that when you could
not see the brightness of my light, it was because you were closing the door to
your heart. My light will always burn, even when seen as small as a candle’s
flame. My light seeps through the cracks of your heart until you find your
way home. You practiced self care, you prayed, you begged, you pleaded—you
Trusted and you accepted the hand of Surrender. You engaged in support groups,
you sought the outside help and care of a counselor—and the greatest of all—Love
moved you forward. We got to know one another. Wisdom grew you and in seeking Divine
Love, your healing began."
"I see your courage, your vulnerability, your brave—your
beautiful soul, as you ebb and flow like the ocean's tide. We are very much a
part of each other. I, a permanent imprint on your heart; I will never leave you.
You, confident in the knowing that in sharing my light, we are experiencing an
interconnectedness with humanity, walking towards a new wholeness.”
What is your Hope? What is your optimism?
Hope
Y
With gratitude to Hope, I share her blessings this Holiday
Season. I’ve learned that Hope has a panoramic view of grief, something
I was unable to see early on, yet knew in my heart that walking with Hope I
would never walk alone. Hope is not to be confused with optimism. I heard it
said that optimism stems from the mind and hope, the heart. Hope welcomed me
with open arms and accepted me in the state that despair delivered me—when I had nothing to give to my family, to myself, to humanity. As I’ve walked with
Hope, this beautiful unseen force that makes herself known through feeling, she has sprinkled my mind's eye with optimism and my heart sees it as glitter, adding a hopeful sparkle to my life.
I’ve come to better understand what Henri Nouwen describes as the difference between these attitudes. In paraphrasing, optimism is the expectation that things will get better. Hope is the trust that it will. Optimism looks to the future, hope lives in the moment. Henri Nouwen’s writings, a passage in Turning My Mourning Into Dancing, defined hope in a way that made it understandable to me in grief.
I’ve come to better understand what Henri Nouwen describes as the difference between these attitudes. In paraphrasing, optimism is the expectation that things will get better. Hope is the trust that it will. Optimism looks to the future, hope lives in the moment. Henri Nouwen’s writings, a passage in Turning My Mourning Into Dancing, defined hope in a way that made it understandable to me in grief.
“Hope is willing to leave unanswered questions
unanswered and unknown futures unknown. Hope makes you see God’s guiding hand
not only in the gentle and pleasant moments but also in the shadows of
disappointment and darkness.”
Henri Nouwen
Optimism holds the shine of inspiration. Hope is God's promise to us.
What is your Hope? What is your optimism?
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