What to do with a grief so deep— can you even touch it?

I had an amazing opportunity for healing when I got an email from a recent Boulder Farmers Market-goer asking if I might be willing to make some soaps with the breast milk from a baby she recently lost. After a minute, I thought —why me—  and then, “How about you come over and we can experiment together working with a glycerin melt and pour base?”

The creative process of birthing a baby had come to a sudden halt. I imagined that crafting would help ease some of the grief of the loss and give her some distraction and joy in reconnecting with her innate creative self. Little did I realize how powerful this time together would be for both of us. She was so grateful and appreciative of the space that she could enter here (envisioning a life that includes space for chickens, gardens and such) and I got so much feedback for how being and working with plants and in community can be so powerfully healing.

The fun of this collaboration is that I felt joy in providing a safe and creative space for crafting with herbs and making products that she could use and share with others; and…she got to participate in an activity that brought much peace and joy to her in hopes of providing this kind of support to others who have experienced a similar loss.

I am truly blessed by these gatherings. A reminder of how we touch each other in ways we have no idea. There was no judgment–only joy in the moments. She shared how I welcomed her and for me knowing that I was able to make someones day just a little brighter felt so good. She hopes to share her story with others. Sadly, there are many who have experienced this pain. To connect with her, made me appreciate life, living my day with integrity, and the practice of being present to what is. We are so connected in joy and pains. Thanks!

Treat people as if they were what they ought to be
and you will help them become what they are capable of becoming.

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe