Comfort in my Heart

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that my oldest sister passed away three weeks ago.  Without going into a lot of detail, I’ll share that services are delayed until all of our family can be together in August.  We did plan a gathering in her honor for those who are around for this past weekend, but before that, there was this void. In my experience, funerals help those who are left behind get on with their mourning.  But in our case, we were all with her the day she died, and then we scattered.  As a result, before this weekend, I struggled to find some kind of acceptance.

This sister, lover of everything ocean, surf and sand, was a collector of beach stones, especially those shaped like hearts.  She had boxes of rocks all over her house, and she kept a plate of her favorite heart stones on a hutch in her kitchen.  Knowing how much they meant to her, I can't tell you how honored I felt when she gave me a special one a few months ago. I wrote about that here.  Keep that in mind, as I tell you this.

Every Father’s day weekend, our town hosts an art festival on our common.  The local art center displays juried and members' artwork in a huge tent, and the rest of the common is lined with artisans and crafters selling their creations. Friday, I was feeling a little blue but I decided to go to the festival anyway.  As I drove down to the common, a thought popped into my head.  If I see anything related to heart stones down there, I’ll know Susan is with me.

I parked far away, had a long walk to the festival, spent time viewing the artwork as well as the craft displays, then got distracted when I realized I’d arrived at exactly the right time to witness an award ceremony for the juried artists.  My friend's sister had been awarded Best in Show, so I stayed to congratulate her, having forgotten about the thought floating through my brain on the way to the festival. On my way back to my car, I realized I’d missed a row of displays and returned  to see them.

I smile every time I look at this picture I took at the very last booth.