Family, Grief, Life, Pets, Photography

what i kept – may 2024

Kari

these are the things i kept on my phone in the month of may.

click here to read previous posts.

source
i found this idea in a book about adding a color rock to a bowl whenever you think about a memory of a loved one to help cope with grief, and it’s been a really nice way for me to connect with my dad. i hope to have many bowls of rocks over the years.
source
@aleise__

Show me all the signs.. #happymothersday

♬ original sound – sophie
source
in a future post, i’ll go into detail about how we got these irises. but this is the first time they’ve bloomed in this spot, and we’ve had them for more than ten years. actually, i had no idea we’d planted any here. the friend who gave them to us died in january. it’s definitely not a coincidence.
source
these two are the real reasons why i am unable to do any soul homework. ❤️
i moved anna and ella’s childhood artwork into anna’s old room, which has become my office/sunset viewing room.

speaking of which…

the sunsets this month has been giving us…
magic…
my friend rita wrote this in the comment section last week. also magic.
that log just sits there at the edge of the falls. the log is me. i am the log.
found on pinterest

Discover more from A Grace Full Life

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

39 thoughts on “what i kept – may 2024”

  1. Flow through time in a different way! Yes that’s the truth of it yet so easy to forget. I like your iris. I tried to grow them but it didn’t work. Just a little bitter about that but maybe next year. Grief bacon? What a term that says it all.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. That baby photo and the love in your dad’s eyes (I am assuming it’s your dad!) is really incredible. What a beautiful photo. All of this is beautiful, I know you’re deeply mourning but I can see how you are processing this pain and grief and sadness. It’s a terrible part of life, grieving loved ones, isn’t it? So painful, I see you. But I see you processing it in a healthy and loving way, and may you continue to be kind to yourself and show yourself love. I hope you have many bowls of coloured rocks, may his memory live on.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. He loved being a grandparent. I have so many wonderful pictures to prove it. It’s a huge loss not to have him here, but when he was here, he made sure he loved us all very much.

      Yes, we are in deep mourning. A terrible part of life. Thank you for seeing me, my friend. I’m trying to strike a balance between sharing my grief and not scaring people away. I hope I can keep this balance. Because grief can be both dark and manageable. I’m so glad you’re all here to walk with me. YOU are the reason I can be so kind and loving to myself. I don’t believe I could be this way without this blog or all of you. 😘❤️

      Like

  6. I spend way more time than is healthy dwelling on the idea that my blue is not your blue or Tara’s blue or Colin Firth’s blue.

    Grief bacon? Leave it to the Germans to engineer something so perfect.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Kari, can you believe how fast May flew by? Tomorrow is JUNE already!

    I really love that first photo you took about the ways various languages define/express grief. Being that I have such connection to Japan, I really liked that one especially.

    I LOVE that glass jar with the gemstones (and its purpose). It sounds very ZEN.

    I also love both word for the day’s. They are so spot on!

    Gorgeous sunset shots!

    And you do know what I read years ago about being visited by butterflies?

    “…..represents change and transformation, comfort, hope, and positivity.”

    Thanks for sharing May, my friend! Sending love and energy your way!

    ((((((((((((((( X YOU X ))))))))))))))))

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I know. And it’s already June 3rd, when I finally get around to responding. It’s going so quickly.

      I knew you’d enjoy the one from Japan. That is my favorite one. Even more than grief bacon, which is very good.

      I absolutely love it. I plan on sharing a picture of my jar of stones progress at the end of each month’s tater tot post.

      I love those quotes. I get them in my inbox every day. They’ve been so accurate lately.

      Right?? We’ve had a lot of rain lately, but when the sun shines, it SHINES.

      Ohhh, I love that about butterflies!

      I will take that love and energy, my friend. Sending it right back. 😘❤️😘

      Like

  9. A beautiful collection, as always. I enjoy these posts and the many riches of beauty and wisdom in them. The sunlight photos are amazing! And the irises are obviously a big hello from the other plane…

    Liked by 1 person

  10. I’m writing down that Japanese word, yugen. That one really struck me.

    Am going to see if my library has the book you’re reading, Your Grief, Your Way.

    Did you get a new chair? I’m looking at the blue one in the corner where the colorful patterened one used to be.

    Love the colored rocks in a bowl idea. And the photo of you, Anna (I’m assuming that’s Anna!) and your dad is incredibly precious. How you’re both looking at Anna with so much love and pride and how happy she was in that presence.

    Ooh, that explanation of success! I’ve always hated when people say someone is “successful”. What does that even mean? Unfortunately, in our culture, it usually means someone has a high-powered job and/or makes a lot of money. That should not define success! Or, at least, not be the ultimate or only definition of success.

    Can’t wait to hear your story about the irises.

    So sweet that you have hung your children’s childhood artwork in “your” room. Love that.

    xoxo

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It struck me too.

      That was in my mom and dad’s house! They gave it to me back in March. The patterned one is now next to the green cabinet in the dining area.

      The picture of Anna, my dad, and me is one of my favorites. ❤️

      I agree 100% about success. There are so many definitions for it.

      I plan to write about it in one of the tater tot posts once the lilies bloom.

      I love it, too. 😘

      Liked by 1 person

  12. The bowl of colored rocks is such a beautiful idea! I really love that. I also love Grief Bacon. How perfect. I love seeing all the things you kept. ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Kummerspeck is my life right now. So much eating.

    We are in the midst of summer registration for first year students at the university where I work. There’s a bit in our presentation where we talk about success – four weeks after the first day of class, four months after, and four years. We ask the students what success would mean to them and it’s interesting to hear what they have to say. I wish more of them would say “make friends” because the long-lasting friendships I have from college are the most important things I got from those four years.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. I love that other languages have words that mean so much more than how we can translate them. Kummerspeck is a wonderful one. And I also love the idea of adding those colored rocks into a ‘bowl of memories.’ You find the best ideas, even though they have grief behind them. I truly believe that our loved ones who have departed would not want us to be sad, but it’s hard to not be.

    It was nice to hear your voice again. I miss your podcasts. I hope you’ll return to them sometime soon. XO

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I believe that too, but you are so right. It is so hard not to be. ❤️

      Oh, that is so sweet. I love that you miss them. I miss doing them. Maybe someday I will. 😘❤️

      Like

  16. Butterflies! ❤️ They’re sharing all the love with you.

    The rocks in the bowl is such a lovely sentiment; you will surely fill gobs of them.

    Kari, I think we’ve all been that log before and like Francois, let’s just go over that fall and cry it out together. XO

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes! I thought of you immediately. 😘

      I love how every time I look at the bowl of rocks, I think of all the memories we’ve shared with him.

      YES. Let’s just fall over and cry it out. Love that.

      Like

  18. Kari,

    This makes my heart feel tender. All of it, the light, the rocks, the log, the dogs, Francois. Your month feels tender, and I’m thinking of that word in many of its different meanings, adjective, noun, and verb. Keep growing toward the sun, my friend, like your beautiful blooms. Keep tending your grief, and letting it tend you. The log will go over when it’s ready, I think.

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.