When my daughter departed this earth everything brushed against the raw wounds of my grief, reminding me of Crystal. A tilt of the head, a laugh, fragrance of candles, the beach, walking the neighborhood, places where she ate, attended daycare, schools, playgrounds, the Nutcracker Ballet, and the list goes on. Even drawings of children who resemble her attracts my attention. It often brings tears to my eyes and sometimes it's difficult to bear but I also can't let them go. These binding threads of grief is gradually, bit by bit, becoming gifts of loving memories that can never be taken away. So there is hope where loving memories can also bring smiles. The binding thread of grief also brings treasures. Crystal's artwork lifts my spirit and I use it to bring smiles to the lonely, isolated and elderly through non profit groups The Angel Card Project and Kind Cards for Cool Kids. I used her artwork and added graphics and text for Valentines and mailed the cards to 100 people around the country.
