Hope, Heartache, Strength & Mending ♥
KATIE BERGGREN"Flounder" was a word that floated to mind yesterday, an unsteady, searching feeling many of us know. I’ve been sitting with something I want to share, and honestly, sharing is not always easy.
So many of us are creating, crafting, loving and working hard, and trying to be seen in a world that feels louder than ever. And yet, our stories matter because they help us relate to each other. They let us share feelings, experiences, and ideas in a way that brings people together, no matter where we're from.
Perhaps we are standing at the edge of something better? So keep sharing, and at least writing down, the stories that matter to you.
Here is a story I would love to share with you.
This is Strength & Mending.
I painted her before I fully understood what she would mean to me… and now, I’m feeling her message in my bones.
Earlier this month, we helped my 20-year-old son move out of our nest - into his first real home, 2000 miles away from us. It broke my heart with sadness but also with pure sweet hope. He has his bachelor’s degree now and has landed an incredible job. He was ready. He’s doing great. And I’m so proud.
But my eyes tear up whenever they choose to, and my heart aches when I think of not touching his bristly face or his thick spiky hair, not embracing his tall strong body.
And also when I think of the moments of helping him sort, packing his car, setting up his furniture… our last moments in the same room for quite some time. Stepping back as he stepped forward…
I didn’t know how much this whole experience would stretch me, how much it would mend me, too. Our challenges grow our hearts and already mine feels stronger.
That’s not to say that I don’t cry when I wish I could make him a meal or give him the ‘first taste’ of the cookie dough (that was always his job).
That doesn’t mean that I don’t test my heart several times a day to see if it is still tender. It surely is.
This painting, Strength & Mending, is about that. The quiet strength we find in letting go and moving forward.
We have the courage to restore our balance with our own hands, recognizing the ache, and the hope, and the love that holds us all together. It is a job we can do.
And we can be reinforced by the love that remains and builds, even when we are apart. We can grow from these times.
I know that I have a lot of grieving in my future – a lot of loss ahead of me – and I feel grateful for this bit of practice, and the chance to focus on the HOPE and the love left behind.
If you’ve been through a moment of loving and letting go, whether as a parent, a child, or a partner, then you know it’s both beautiful AND hard.
Strength & Mending is for that space in our hearts.
Coincidentally, I’m working on the second A Silent Story book, it is called Loving & Letting Go and is inspired by this exact journey. Stay-tuned for updates in the coming months.
I will also be sharing updates in my Private Community – join us – there is currently a raffle prize you can enter to win 😊 and the odds are still quite good.
Thank you for reading my story, and the story of Strength & Mending, I appreciate you ♥
Wishing you a lovely day,
Love & Sincerely, Katie
