In August 2022, I held space for my cousins as we mourned the loss of their father, who passed away two weeks before my mother lost her battle to lung cancer. As I tried to make sense of these tragedies, my eldest aunt passed away unexpectedly a month after my mother’s passing. At the same time, I was helping another aunt with end-of-life care for pancreatic cancer, who tragically took her last breath just as we finished burying my eldest aunt.

I don’t know why life happens the way it does, but I am grateful and honored to have had the opportunity to help my loved ones transition. As traumatic as it was, it was also beautiful to be able to provide comfort, hold their hands, and walk with them on their final journey. In this life, we are all just walking each other home.

October was filled with bittersweet memories. My mother would have turned 74 and my aunt 84. It was also the death anniversary of three close friends. While my heart is filled with sadness, I am also grateful for the love and support of my family and community. I have found solace in painting over my old bags, giving them a new lease on life. In a way, these upcycled painted bags reflect my grieving process. They help me remember with love rather than pain, let go of things that are gone, and hold onto the things that have become a part of who I am as I move forward. As they say, with every ending, there is also a new beginning.

#ArtHeals