L is for ...

The problem, as I continue work on my alphabet of healing words, is that there are so many good words for each letter in the alphabet.

A month ago I read an editorial written by Anne Lamott. She wrote about the pain she feels as she watches the political turmoil around her. “It’s hard to move through the dark. You have to go slowly and ... rely on others. This is what I told friends who felt terrorized by what was happening: we go slowly, we stick together, and we do what Mother Theresa said, small acts of great love. 

“There will be more dark and stormy nights, figuratively and literally, but the green hills always come back when the rain comes down. The roots of the 200-foot redwood trees in the grove down the street are shallow and thus need to intertwine with each other to withstand the storms and the wind. I see this as excellent advice: Stand Tall and Connected.”

What a great image for C: C is for Connection. So I got to work. The piece will need some finishing touches, and a frame around it. 

 But there are so many other healing words that begin with C: community, compassion, cooperation, cocooning, coping, create, change, caring ... how do I choose? (And that’s another wise C word!) I suspect this project may become bigger than I imagined.

I’ve decided not to create these pieces in alphabetical order, but rather by inspirational concepts and images I find in the written word. Thus, “L is for Light” came from an image that sprang into my mind from a line in a hymn.  Change will come, the words of the hymn said, from people who are “fearless and faithful, small paper lanterns, lighting the way.”

In many Asian countries, the annual Festival of Lanterns aims to promote reconciliation, peace, and forgiveness. The skies and waters are filled with lighted lanterns, brightening a dark world. 

What a relief it is when you see light in the distance after walking in the dark. It's such a symbol of hope. Can people of good will be like lanterns in the dark night, bringing hope where there is no hope? And can lantern light  illuminate truth when it is hidden behind lies? The illustration above is a picture of serenity, but "fearless and faithful people" will be launched into choppy water these days. It may be a rough ride, but light is a healing word, and I hope to make it the subject of my next piece. 

But  again, I think of other "L" words: what about Listen? What about Laughter and  Learning? Living Large, Letting Go, Leaning? And the biggest of them all, Love.

Because it is love that is the ultimate healing word, to my way of thinking. Our life here on earth is the Creator’s grand experiment in love, and we have a lot to learn in that department. Not cheap love that doesn’t cost us anything, but extravagant, audacious, love that is spent without boundaries to bring healing to a hurting world. And that is tough. I know that because I fall far short of how loving I would like to be. 

What is your definition of love? How and when do you experience it? And where have you seen it in action? And what do you sing, when you sing of love? I’m welcoming you to send me quotes, ideas, definitions, stories and thoughts about Love. These I hope to incorporate into a bigger piece of art, a blanket of love with lots of writing on it. It’s your chance to tell the world what’s so important about love to you. We are all connected, as connected as the trees in the piece above, and we are stronger and better together. 

You might wonder what this might look like -- so here's a sample of how others have incorporated writing into their quilts:

 

 And here's something I'll be writing on that quilt: "Only love can be divided endlessly and still not diminish". It's a quote by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. 

 Funny is good too. Here's words about love I saw in a cheese shop:

 

I hope you will help me make this the best blanket of love by participating with a few words or a lot of words. Since a big quilted blanket/wall hanging will take a long time to put together, there’s no time limitation on this invitation. I’ll mention it again every time I post, and I’ll show you how this part of the project progresses.

Send your stuff to me at j.schut0613@gmail.com Please!

And since today is Thanksgiving Day, I’ll end by saying T is for Thanks!

The words to the hymn from which the quote is taken is found here: https://www.bridgestreetchurch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/35.Hymn-Lyrics-for-OnLine-Worship.Sept_.20.2020.pdf