poof

because quite frankly that is what it feels like - 


poof... 


yesterday we met with the doctors who said my aunt needed to be placed on hospice in the hospital... they gave her days to weeks... 


stopped by the hospital after dropping the kids off at school this morning, held the phone to her ear so my brother could say what he needed to say... i thanked her for all she had done and let her know i was going to be okay... 


my mom and i left - i headed off to philly with em...


and when i got home, my mom let me know that she left that disease-riddled, pain-filled body of hers at 9am...  


the aggressiveness of her disease and the rapidity of her decline have left me reeling... a mother and her daughter both died this year - my grandmother and my aunt... 

i finished these for my friend to wear to the kaleidoscope of hope walk tomorrow - she lost her sister to cancer 2 years ago... i added sapphires for september - to represent the month of my friend's birth and her sister's passing - bitter sweet... 


who knew those words would apply to my aunt this month - the month of her birth and her passing?


thank you for letting me share this - it all just seemed so surreal... and thank you for all of your support... i am here for you as well -


tomorrow is another day -

twist, turns, bumps and potholes...

life is filled with these... but for some, a life threatening illness exponentially increases the level of difficulty... 

september is ovarian cancer awareness month

october is breast cancer awareness month

we all know of women who have faced these diseases... their bodies may or may not have survived, but their powerful spirits never give up...

'in all things it is better to hope than to despair.'

- johann wolfgang von goethe

'twists and turns' were lovingly created to reflect the path of the disease and of life itself... love & hope are critical for anyone's survival, but definitely for these women - my wish is that they never find themselves short of either... sterling wire has been manipulated and antiqued... beautiful little lampwork beads created by jenn at blue seraphim... earring design loosely based upon the symbol for the feminine...

'things worth holding on to' were created in honor of breast cancer awareness... subtle faceted pink beads are a warm pink/brown... delicate ear wires created by rocki at rockissupplies ... the distressed and rustic look are meant to reflect the tenacity it takes to survive - emotionally, mentally & physically...

here's hoping the road can be smoothed for them in any way great or small...