Two Gifts

On Saturday, my daughter JoAnne and granddaughter Clare showed up on my front porch with this bouquet from the Farmer's Market. I love the mix of unusual flowers and the vibrant colors. Flowers just lift my spirits. Once in my house, I can't keep my eyes off of them.

Some people, whom I will never understand, consider them a waste of money because they fade. But for me, since everything fades, (including me), I believe beautiful things are meant to be savored up close and enjoyed while we have them. Like people.

Here's a closeup of the textures and colors. Flowergardengirl could identify all the flowers, but not me. Still, I love those unnamed flowers. Thank you, sweet JoAnne and Clare, for all the love in that little bouquet.

The quilt below came in the mail last week. It is from my fellow grieving mom and friend, Sharon. Thank you dear sweet Sharon.

Handmade. Heartfelt. Hawaiian.

I think it's made from 6 different fabrics. It is beautiful and vibrant, like the flowers. I will snuggle in this quilt all winter long and it will remind me of Sharon and her beautiful daughter Angie and my beautiful son Joey and our shared bond of knowing. She, like me, lives with daily sorrow and longing. She soothes herself by sewing quilts, like I soothe myself by blogging. I can imagine how many precious tears flowed while this quilt was being made. This comforter is really and truly a comfort-er.

And after the loss of a child, it's all about comfort. It's an all-consuming quest. Your once orderly insides become sideways, undone, shaken, twisted, stretched-- unsettled on a frightening scale. They are jumbled and they cry all the time, whether anyone can see it or not. You seek anything that will bring some quiet and peace to all that internal chaos. So beauty does that for me. It quiets me. The flowers and the quilt quiet me.

Isaiah 66:13
As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you;