Recently I experienced one of the greatest losses of my life. One day she was here. And then one day she wasn’t here anymore at all. New Year’s Day 2022 was one of the last times I spent with her. She was light and she was love, and she taught me how to be the light and how to express my love. I try and live life wide open…and I learned it from watching her. She was connection. My entire worldview – that connection is the key to experiencing joy in this life – was shaped in large part by her. That in sharing our stories we can find pieces of ourselves within one another – and when we do, there’s a spark, an exchange of energy, an instant trust…because that’s where the hope lives. She shared openly, and she gave freely, without expectation of anything in return. She had the courage to live life vulnerable – and there was so much strength in that. As the calendar flips to another year, my promise is to continue to love like her….to show up…to be the one who will crawl underneath my besties dress and rub baby powder where the sun don’t shine just to make sure her day is perfect. To be the gift…she sure was. This pendant is as a constant reminder that God lives within us all; and if we look close enough, we can see him in one another, clear as day. He told us that hope could only be born of suffering, but that in the suffering we are all held. It is His promise to us all.
Lesley
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Dear Melissa,
The thing about these pendants is they always get to where they are meant to be, and this pendant was meant to be with you. When you sat across from me at the beautiful, wood table after we broke bread together and shared your story of loss, I was in awe of your strength. As a mother myself, your testimony of faith after an unimaginable loss is perhaps one of the most inspiring and moving stories I have ever heard. It was a true honor to witness you share your spiritual journey. Your words that day around the table in the mountains – they changed me – and I thought you should know that. Please keep sharing and connecting, so that more people may be changed by your words. This is what it is to be held. When hope is born of suffering. His promise was when everything fell, we’d be held. Thanks for the reminder.
xo,
Lesley