I have written and rewritten this too many times to tell.
A beautiful agate cabochon with the figure of a horse on it. As soon as I saw it, I tried to buy it, but anonymously, someone gifted it me! It sat on my bench for many many months. I designed several pendants for it, but none were truly inspired.
Until a lifelong friend called.
He is dying. His liver is failing and that is causing the rejection of his transplanted lung. His wife is 'collateral damage' in all of this. This is harder than you can ever imagine. The toxins aren't being cleansed from his body and this is affecting his personality as well. He wanted me to make a horse sculpture for his wife. Instead, I sat and sketched this pendant for him.
We gathered for dinner and she opened her gift from him that I had made, in front of all of us.
At that very moment I realized what I really do.
I don't make jewellery. I capture moments, memories of love and joy and passions. I capture these so when he's gone she will remember the sweetness, the laughter and all of the joy that they shared. She will remember the innocence of those before moments. All of my insecurities about the quality of my work are washed away because they pale in comparison to his love, his request. A diamond for eternity, rubies for love and a horse, her passion. I weep for their struggle.
His best option is a living donor. Here, in the North East, living donorship is low. Numbers and charts and a match are complex.
So now what I am trying to do is bring awareness to the need of Living Donorship. It is not for the faint of heart, but it is for the brave and compassionate.
I will not push this.
I am simply presenting it in hopes of creating a spark in someone. Without it not only will my friend die, but so will many others who wait and hope.
Life is messy, challenging, difficult, painful, gentle, loving, beautiful and wondrous.
Life is a gift, treasure yours ♥️
