Signs of hope

In July and August, I did some traveling. I went to see dear friends who I knew would offer comfort and a safe space for me. I went in search of evidence of God, beauty, love, signs of hope.

These shells on Sanibel Island offer a subtle study in what you miss if you fail to look at something closely, and what you miss if you fail to look at the big picture. I was standing in the same place when I took these two pictures. I simply looked up, then down. And I wondered how things might have been different if the same had been done for my son.



There were, of course, palm trees in Florida (pictured: Bunche Beach) and in California (pictured: Venice Beach). I absolutely adore palm trees, not just for their beauty, but also for their spiritual symbolism.



Then there was this tree root at Bon Secours. The gimel reached out at me as I walked through the woods, and I was immediately reminded that there is a similar mark on my left wrist which I first noticed around the age of 7. The symbolism is not lost on me: I looked it up a while ago, and learned that the gimel refers to one who chases after those in need. Indeed, I chased after my son...in so many ways.



I still want to identify the artist(s) who created this piece which was on display at The Lab in Costa Mesa. I am not sure what the artists was commenting on, but needless to say, the sentiments grabbed at my heart. Look closely at the words.



And as with the shells that signified the importance of both looking closely and also looking at the big picture, I stepped back to take a picture of the entire piece and found what I was looking for: