The holidays are filled with messages of peace, hope and happiness. Magical moments with family and friends.
But it’s also a really difficult time for those who are hurting.
Perhaps this is the first holiday season without a loved one who has passed. Or divorce brings separation during the holidays. Or health issues isolate.
In these things, I see a contrast.
The joy of the holiday season & messages, and the real life painful circumstance we can experience.
It was at this crossroads that I created this series of art.
If you’re hurting this season, I hope my art gives voice to your feelings. And makes you feel seen and heard.
This Christmas is the first that someone will be without someone else.
A loved one died.
A divorce or separation.
A damaged relationship causing a void.
If you’re fortunate to be gathered around loved ones, perhaps business as usual, consider extending an invitation to someone who will be having a difficult Christmas this year.
It may not ease the longing they feel inside, but love paves the way toward healing.
In the midst of the merriment, someone around you is hurting. They just might not be broadcasting it.
The contrast of their current realities & the messages of the holiday season magnifies their disconnect.
A timely word, a kind gesture, a simple acknowledgment could go a long way.
Be on the lookout. Then practice love.
You might be the agent that ushers in some peace.
Practice empathy.
The times that made all the difference while in the midst of difficulties have been the ones where people have been willing to sit in the dirt with me.
Feeling seen & heard. Being understood. Knowing that although in the midst of hard times and feeling like the situation is unique to you, those people remind you that you’re not alone in it. There are those who have gone before you, come through the fire and are still here today.
This series has been interesting for me. It’s given me a place to express my own feelings and experiences, but more over, given voice to many who suffer silently.
I have had so many people tell me this art has expressed what they have felt unable to express. And for that, I am grateful.
No one is exempt from pain. We all have seasons we’d rather hide and delete from our stories. But I’ve found that redemption comes when I can share those things anyway, and use it to help someone else.
The mess becomes the message.
