Bone of My Bone

Bone of my Bone, 2014
Mixed media: found materials, found string, driftwood, and fragments of tree branches in wooden boxes, dimensions variable

This spring has been a time of healing and growth, and while we fought alongside my beloved friend, Kelly, during her battle with cancer, I too, found myself healing beside her. Inspired by the tremendous love and support shrouded upon her by the community, I was reminded of our need to heal, and the importance in healing together.

These "bones" have been crafted with fragments of tree branches and found string which I have collected during my walks in nature, the place where I most often find my own healing. The strings bind the broken bones, looking to mend that which has been fractured by our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual struggles.

Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. - Matthew 9:22

These Bones Do Stack, 2014, Stones, thread, and tree bark, 31"h x 2"w x 2"d. Collection of K. and J. Bell, Lodi, CA.

Through Kelly's fight and her recovery, the mantra which helped me visualize her spine religning, and her lifeline lengthening and strengthening: These bones do stack.

(Yes, they surely do! She has recovered beautifully, free and clear with healthy blood running through her veins! Thank you, everyone, for your thoughts and prayers!)

While considering her spine, I thought about how life's complications have a way of entangling our nerves. I likened the spine unto a spring. When a spring is knotted, we can straighten it by pulling at both ends, and eventually, this stretching can altar the way they have been arranged even after so long. As we stand tall and reach to our Higher Source, our spine pulls and lengthens, stretches, uncoils, and realigns itself. These bones do stack. And they do so as to protect our lifeline.