Comforting Hearts

People close to me have been touched by a great deal of loss in recent weeks.  It's always so hard to find the right words to comfort those who are grieving.  When my mother-in-law was in hospice, the staff quietly hung a handmade heart on the door knob of her room.  It was a small gesture but one that brought tremendous peace and comfort to our family, and it was a feeling that I have never forgotten.  So when those I care about experience loss of a dear family member, I always want to reach out to comfort them.

Over the years, I have made several heart door hangers to give to friends.  They are different sizes and shapes.  They are made with different materials and in different colors.  And, they usually are created with leftover remnants of projects that I am currently working on.  But on every single one of these heart door hangers, I add an e.e. cumming's quote that reads "May absolute peace gently descend."  These words were painted on one of the walls at my mother-in-law's hospice and they moved me.  It was just what I needed to hear at that difficult time.

I made this black and white door hanger for a neighbor whose beloved dog died last week.  Rather than struggle to find words of condolence, I made this for her.