I am back from a long and unplanned trip to France and you might have noticed that I have not written for a month. This is because I got the heartbreaking and unexpected news that my mum had passed away. She had been bravely fighting cancer but suffered a heart attack. I FaceTimed her twice that day as usual and in the morning we had a lovely conversation. In the evening, she seemed a bit tired but nothing out of the ordinary. One hour later, she was dead. How I miss our daily video chats!

Unfortunately, dear one, it doesn’t stop there. Five days later, my father passed away. One day, I had two parents and a week later, they were both gone. When I got to France, I went straight to the funeral home and saw both of them lying side by side. There is solace in knowing that they took their last journey together; they loved each other so much. 
 

3 QUOTES

• "Art is solace; art is vision, and when I pick up a literary work, I am a consumer of literature for its own sake.”  Wold Soyinka

• ”I've found great solace in finally taking care of myself and others.”  Nile Rodgers 

• “By engaging your senses and your soul, you can form a connection with nature that allows you to find peace, balance, and a deep sense of wellbeing. Remember, nature is not just a place to visit; it's a home to return to whenever you need solace.” 
  ― Keli Maire, Finding Peace in Nature: A Practical Guide: How to Unlock the Healing Power of the Great Outdoors
   

2 IDEAS

• One evening after the funeral, I felt that I needed to get out of my head and grief. I grabbed scissors, a glue stick and a magazine, and made a collage in my journal. For the few minutes my creation took to make, I had found solace. Too often we stay in our head instead of doing what helps such as doing a creative activity or going for a walk or reading a book or talking to a friend or doing a physical activity. Worries, grief, disappointment or sadness can take hold of us and we must interrupt it without guilt.
   
• Make a gratitude flower when life feels heavy. Cut out a circle and ten petals in thick, colourful paper. Write “I am grateful for” in the circle, then write ten things you are grateful for. Stick the petals on the edge of the circle. Alternatively, you can draw a big flower on a piece of paper and colour it with pencils or watercolour. 

1 QUESTION

What would you put in your ’Solace Emergency Kit’? Make a list now.

Valerie 

http://valeriemarsh.com