this post has me stumbling for words so just bear with me as i sort it all out!
this weekend luke & i did a little road trippin' to tulsa. he dropped me off at the be crafty workshop hosted by three truly lovely ladies- lesley, amanda & allison. those sweet ladies spoiled us! the food was incredibly good, the crafts were so much fun & the swag bags (thanks to a whole bunch of amazing artists & crafters!) were amazing.
the workshop was hosted next to a handful of the sweetest shops. i had heard so much about made so it was fun to finally step inside & soak up all of the handmade goodness.
my running buddy & bff, kara, has her necklaces in made. they were crazy popular during the workshop... so thankful to call her friend!
after the workshop, luke & i headed toward vintage market days, a very well-crafted vintage & handmade market in the heart of tulsa.
this weekend was exactly what i needed. it was such a gift to spend quality time with a handful of women i truly admire & live out a part of my life that brings about such joy.
but in all honesty, throughout our trip, my heart & mind were on syria. i felt a heavy heart of guilt.
i debated writing about this part of our trip because it is such a sensitive topic, but i've always hoped that this little blog would be a place where i could invite honesty in both myself & my readers. my hope has been that we could discuss things that brought us joy, but also the things that stopped us in our tracks & stirred us up inside.
so, as luke & i were driving to tulsa early saturday morning with npr buzzing in the background, we began to discuss the incredible heartache in syria. when luke dropped me off, i put on a smile & had a truly amazing time with an amazing group of people in an amazing workshop.
as we all began crafting, though, thoughts began to surface. guilty thoughts. thoughts of mothers grieving over lost children while i painted. thoughts of homes torn apart & wives without husbands as i went about my lovely saturday visiting handmade shops & vintage markets.
i feel so incredibly blessed to experience such privilege in a world of tragedy & sadness. i often question what i am supposed to do when faced with this truth so many borders away while i fluff my home & craft. the only part i can make peace with is that we must remain thankful for what we've been given. though i should do what i can to alleviate suffering abroad, i can't allow myself to feel guilty for the blessings in life that i enjoy. perhaps that's the hardest part. i just wish such blessings for everyone to take part in the things that fuel their passions & light their fires.
so i replaced my guilt for the things i cannot control with a heart of thanks for experiencing these unearned daily joys. my heart still feels that stirring, but i know that i'm called to not take these privileges for granted. a thankful, convicted heart.
i am so thankful for a full-love-tank-kind-of-day spent with amazing new friends. i am thankful for an evening with a group of women at ashley's home sharing a homemade meal together & such good, soul-filling conversation.
i am thankful for this precious life filled with an unimaginable amount of joy that i will never comprehend. be crafty weekend, you stirred something inside & filled me up.
love,
natalie
7 comments:
i was just talking to my father in law about this this weekend. it does not serve humanity to harbor guilt or discontent because we are not amidst a civil war. It doesn't serve humanity to shut down and become sentimental with grief that is unearned. Being grateful and sending all the love and light you've got back out into the environment is what serves humanity. (i think)
Grateful for hot showers, food, clean water, quiet, creativity. For a long time i felt guilty for how valuable my hot shower was to me every day but then one day I realize that my guilt was not helping anyone. The people who i was pitying for not having hot showers do not want my pity, they'd probably think i was crazy for not enjoying my life the way it is. By being mindful of how fortunate we are and honoring the value of our Now, we are honoring lives less fortunate. That kind of sounds terrible actually. Maybe I need to rethink this...
Or get to donating.
This craft weekend looks so fun! i think creating beauty is a wonderful way to celebrate life.
nicolette, you expressed exactly what was simmering in my little brain. thank you for your words.
Where did you get your sweater?! SO cute!!!!!!
The woman with the orange polla dot sweater in the last photo is identical to my best friend!!! (except she lives in Italy and is not crafty at all...)
I get it. I've had the same type of swirling thoughts. What to DO! Is there anything to do? We live in a world where we find out so quickly every terrible thing going on in the world and what, exactly, are we to do with it? I'm not sure.
Love reading this post,and I love your heart !!
What. Blessing it was to meet you !! I hope we get another opportunity to craft together !!! Xo
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