Remembering . . .

I have been so thankful for this beautiful month of May, it has always been one of my favourite months and even more so this year with the glorious weather we are having,  the bluest of skies stretching away into the distance, the clouds of delicate blossoms filling hedgerows and new life springing up all around - the lambs and young birds. This month of May has been like a gentle, healing balm and how I need that just now.

My days have been painted with sadness this past while, for we said goodbye to our dear, precious Dad in March. It wasn't expected and we didn't have much time but we were so very blessed to be under the care of the amazing nurses at the Alexandra palliative care unit at our local hospital. They ensured both Dads last days and our days with him were peaceful and gentle as could be and for that we are ever grateful.

When you loose a loved one, suddenly there is a before and an after and life takes on a very different shape. It's as if the  breathe has been knocked right out of you.  It's the kind of heartache you feel in your bones.  This loss is not something you get over, instead it becomes part of who you are and so I am making time; time to recognize this new me, time for quiet moments, time for stillness,  time to remember  and time to treasure the memories.

 I heard this on the radio a while ago: 'When we die, we die twice, once when our last breath leaves our body and again when our name is mentioned for the very last time by the last person to remember us.' 

Well my dear Dad you were so loved by your big, widespread family that your memory will live on for many years to come. You are in every beat of our hearts Dad and you will always be in our memories. We will never be without you.

Go slow, gratitude and Mindfulness resolutions

A Happy (Belated) New Year to you all my lovelies wherever you may be! I have rather neglected this wee corner of the world and have missed being here and the connections it brings.

Last year was a good year in lots of ways, with a whirlwind of activity: a trip to India, a new studio, exhibitions galore, workshops a plenty and lots of projects on the go, all very good. Yet as Winter descended and  the days of the year were numbered I realised my feet had hardly touched the ground and I was feeling decidedly frayed at the edges.

So I have spent my time since the new year in a state of hibernation, finding time to recuperate, time to ruminate, lighting candles, sitting watching the sunset, taking moments to stop what I'm doing and just breathe. Looking back, I realised that last year I simply hadn't allowed myself much time out at all. No time for mindfulness, for treasuring the moments, no time for the blog writing that I love to do, no time for my sketch-a-day,  no time to just sit and be. I hadn't even heard my body telling me to slow down!
It is so easy to get caught up in our frantically paced world and I knew I had to take action to re-claim the balance that had been missing last year. So I made just one New Year resolution -  To go slower, to savour the moments. After all that is why my blog is named '5 Precious Things', a reminder to self to slow down and find 5 precious things each day in my life to be thankful for.

I needed something visual and visible  so I made myself a huge wall planner and had great fun in the process using lots of my HeART Journaling techniques and included my words to live by for the year -  Mindfulness,  Gratitude, Courage and Peaceful.  I will pin my planner up on the wall of my studio  and it will be a a daily reminder to keep my resolution, and to live by my chosen words.

I have made space in my weeks for work projects and for play, for heath and happiness, for family, friends and for myself. It is so important to try and keep a balance and fulfil all the areas that we need to find harmony in our lives.

It amazes me just how often, when I am looking for answers, the universe drops the perfect solution into my lap, for look what I found in the local shop, this beautiful new publication called 'Breathe', filled with lots of interesting articles based on well being, mindfulness and creativity, including one on listening to your body clock. I also found a lovely wee journal in the sale section in which to record  '100 days of Gratitude'. Once you start to look for those precious moments in your day, you begin to find more and more. I  am already reaping the rewards of spending a few moments at the end of my day to pause and be grateful.

I set myself one more task to do daily, to help with my new resolution and that is to take a daily gratitude photograph. Today's subject just had to be this cheeky visitor to our garden, he was scampering about all over the lawn burying nuts and frisking his tail in the air, and made me smile with his antics. I got carried away trying to capture his antics.

I can't wait to look back at the end of the year and see my 365 photo's.