Sunday, September 7, 2008

Grandmas Live On

My mom's mom, Grandma Jan, was an artsy gal. She loved ceramics and making us little knick-knacks when we were kids. I'll never forget her goofy jewelry and dyed black hair. When I birdwatch or feel the need to accessorize or try to be creative, I think "Grandma Jan lives!" My favorite creation of hers was an African Violet pot. My mom always kept it in the living room with a soft, blooming, purple African Violet. When my mom died, it was one of those material things I felt especially connected to.

After my mom's funeral, I bought myself an African Violet at the local resale store and waited for the chance to get my Grandma's pot. Well, as you know, it has been almost 3 years since my mom passed away and we have not been able to get the pot. I have struggled with this -- lying awake, thinking about that African Violet pot and all it symbolized. After Gus was born, I realized that life was moving on and I wanted to move on too. I wanted to take a ceramics class and make my own pot, but, with three kids, I just haven't found the time to do that.

Then I found a website of an artist in California who makes beautiful African Violet pots, The Perfect Violet Pot, and I decided it was time...
Time to let go of my Grandma's homemade pot.
Time to give my 3-year-old African Violet a real home.
Time to let go of the desire to get into the house.
Time to move forward into the future.

The pot looks just like the one my Grandma Jan made.
More letting go. More peace.


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