“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.”

—Henri Matisse

WHAT’S GOOD

Full Moon Friday: Flying Up Moon – August 28th

Our monthly Full Moon Friday returns to Charis Park this Friday, August 28th from 7 - 9:30 PM, and this one is named for the Flying Up Moon—a beautiful way to close out the summer. Come spend the evening outdoors with live music, a sound bath, face painting, and Music Together for the little ones. Scott's Pizza, a drink vendor, and a dessert vendor will be on-site throughout the night. As always, it's free and open to everyone.

A Reminder of Hope

Taylor Bates, Deputy Director, Sunset Ridge Collective

My kiddos started at a new school last week and I found myself with mixed emotions—excitement, hesitation, tearfulness—as I’m sure many parents do. Naturally these milestones come with some inherent grief because even when you’re excited about a new beginning, that means something is ending. These little griefs can also bring bigger griefs back to the surface, as was true for me.

Eight years ago my husband and I unexpectedly experienced the stillbirth of our first child. This tragedy absolutely devastated us and we grieved acutely for the first several years. As time has gone on and the initial pain of loss has healed, we are able to remember our son, Ellis, through rainbows. Our family witnessed a rainbow in the sky the afternoon he was born. Now, years later, our subsequent living children are old enough to remember Ellis, too, whenever they see a rainbow.

When you lose someone you love, big milestones like birthdays, holidays, and first days of school can bring grief to the surface.

Each year during back to school time I wonder what Ellis would be like now, and paradoxically that imagining both makes me smile and ache. Last week on our first day at the kids’ new school, as we were walking to our car, we spotted a beautiful glimmering rainbow in the sprinklers alongside the sidewalk. I was filled with a sense of wonder and even joy—a reminder of him and also a reminder of hope.

I have hope that even in these moments that can feel a little scary or hard, or a lot scary and very hard, there is always goodness unfolding around us.