Going in Circles
Have you had a point in your life where it seems as if all you are doing is going in circles? This poncho style cape chronicles just such a period in my life, 160 days from June 18th to November 24th, 2023, when my life felt as if it was spiraling out of my grasp. These are the dates of my mom’s fall to the day of her passing. It was a journey through 3 hospitalizations, skilled nursing, assisted living, injuries, setbacks and finally the choice of hospice to await the inevitable. On my own, I had to navigate this sudden change to my own life while taking on that of another. From finances, household needs, medical institutions, and insurance claims to selling a car, breaking up a house and dealing with death, all while holding on to my own family and “career”. During that span, I did no art work other than this piece, which I could pick up and put down at any point. The 80 circles at the bottom, arranged alphabetically, are words that became my world. Symbolically, her life completed the full circle, birth to death. Mine was spiraling in all different directions but we were connected throughout. She joked that I had to spoon feed her just like she had to for me as a baby. I chose the poncho style as sometimes I just wanted to curl up and cover myself. Red is the color of blood, our fluid for life and the greys and blacks were happenstance by available materials at hand. The layout and direction of the stitching occurred organically as the wandering mind seemed fit. For the record, I am still spinning but not as fast…..