Finding Inspiration In The Every Day - 6

All photos are mine-please ask before using 

There are a lot of intangible things we wish for in our lives.
Hope
Strength
Faith
Joy
Love
and
Peace                 are a few examples.

And these things become more prominent when we are faced with a life challenge that involves a loss.

The loss of a job
The loss of a loved one
The loss of good health
The loss of a marriage
The loss of a pet
The loss of a relationship
or
The loss of a pregnancy

to name a few..

At these times, trying to hold onto HOPE can be hard. Trying to find STRENGTH can be exhausting. Trying to be JOYFUL can be unfathomable. Trying to keep or find your FAITH can be a struggle.

I know. 

When my husband was very sick and nothing seemed to be straightforward, I needed these things in great gulping quantities and so did he. 

But where could we find them in the downward spiral of events? 

 Did we have the mental  energy to summon them, look for them or even recognize them when they were right in front of us? 

One day, during those  dark times I was meandering around a store called Ten Thousand Villages and was drawn to some stone paperweights. They were dappled, charcoal and smoke grey  hearts, ovals and circles. Their surfaces were marble smooth and cool to the touch. Their weight and texture were comforting to hold, nestling perfectly in the palm of my hand. On their surfaces different words had been etched:- 

JOY, LOVE, HOPE and STRENGTH



I shifted them from one hand to the other, I traced their shapes and the letters that formed those powerful words. Suddenly I knew I had to buy them and bring them into our home. (At $4 each they would not break the bank.)

 Here was a tangible way of holding the intangible and keeping it close. Here was a way to literally hand Jonny some of the things he needed. I bought all 4 and one plain heart with nothing inscribed on it. I had one more I wanted to add.


At home, I found a Jerusalem pottery dish I loved and placed them in it. With a permanent marker( I have no inscription skills),  I wrote GOOD HEALTH on the message-less heart and took them to Jonny's bedside.

I often find myself reaching for them, rolling one round and over in my fingers. There is something soothing about their feel and reassuring about their messages. Holding these precious affirmations makes them more real, more possible, more attainable.

They are a tangible, permanent reminder of the things we wish for. 

A tickler to reach out and choose them physically, emotionally and mentally. And to give us the message that they are within our reach.

 Perhaps, most importantly their mantras re enforce for us all that there is a way back to JOY, LOVE, HOPE, FAITH, PEACE, STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH  when they seem to have gone missing in the stresses of life.

What would you write on one of these paperweights right now?

HOPING to hear from you!

Gilly

You might also enJOY reading

The Jigsaw Puzzle Of Life

How Do You Cope?

Finding Inspiration In The Every Day-5

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