Tree of Life

So I'm about to be a big number I don't feel like typing. However, I do feel lucky to have friends at this stage of my life who are super amazing and make it not quite as bad as it seems. The other day, I got a fantastic gift from someone who has become a kindred spirit and dear God, if we ever were both down and out on the same day, I don't know what we would do because we take turns offering solutions, boosts, tough love, and humor to get each other out of bad days. 

So I got this beautiful piece of art from Shay Stone, and it's so meaningful for many reasons, in addition to how much I value her friendship. 

The tree of life is a symbol found in various cultures and religions. The meaning can vary, but at its heart it's a message of staying connected ... that all forms of life connect through cosmic energy and it's a reminder to stay in harmony with the world. It's also a symbol of strength and wisdom as the roots dig down deep to stay rooted in whatever is important to you so you can flourish like the leaves above. At least, that's how I see it.

I'm also thrilled to have this particular tree of life, because it's a type of art that is mentioned in my upcoming novel, Glass Hearts. One of the characters deals in fair trade art and the metal artistry in Haiti is mentioned. These pieces are made from oil drums and you can still see the rich subtle tints of the oil in the resulting work. The tree of life is one of the popular images you'll find in this work. For more information on Haitian metal work, I like this blog post by Third Eye Mom. As you'll see, there are many different styles.

So, thank you, Shay Stone! You're awesome and so is this beautiful artwork!