patchwork art

Our lives are a patchwork of stories and lived moments. Despite my best efforts to cultivate a seamless day filled with whimsy and wonder, I found myself again and again starting at mere remnants of what I had hoped to offer. And this is how my story begins, amidst the throes of life, cultivating agency and courage to show up just as I am, “broken yet whole.”

I recently had the opportunity to share at a WILD + FREE conference in Dallas. It was such an honor to meet: Ainsley Arment, Sally Clarkson, Julie Bogart, Amber Johnston, Leslie Martino, Bethany Douglas, Tina Ingolds, Greta Eskridge, Besty Jenkins, Rachel Kovac, Elsie Eludicelo, Erin Lochner, and so many others.

What a humbling thing it is to stand alongside women I admire so deeply and meet so many others with a heart for reclaiming childhood.. There are words that these women have spoken or written over the years that have inspired me in deeply profound ways.

It is hard to even know where to begin, so here is a little reflection from that weekend:

I wanted to stand before these amazing mamas in a patchwork dress because I felt it represented the collective beauty of each irreplaceable mama in that room, each with a unique story and life unlike another. This idea of clothing oneself with,“ compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience,” also conjures patchwork imagery because our efforts may not come together as seamlessly as we envisioned. It is humility at its finest, learning to see the art of the everyday.

Beautiful as those sentiments may be, this reality was difficult for me to accept. I wanted so desperately to overcome my limitations, but what I needed to overcome was my own pride so that I could courageously accept myself as I am and others as they are. In so doing, I create space for a beautiful patchwork of lived moments to emerge from the seams of my consciousness and understanding.

While I searched for words and cohesive ways to bring my story together, only a patchwork of moments and memories continued to surface. So I stitched them together for the talk I was asked to deliver. ThoughI’m unable to share the transcript here, I hope you’ll take a moment to ponder the beautiful story and life that is uniquely yours, the very fingerprint you leave on the lives of those who cross your path.

At the heart of what I hoped too share is a deep desire to empathize and see marginalized folks who are stuck in the fray of belonging while building a life of meaning, Perhaps they are too exhausted to raise their voice, perhaps too overwhelmed with tasks at hand to set boundaries or seek help, I wanted them to feel seen and heard. I hoped the words I share encourage them to see the ways in which their invisible work are leaving a legacy of love —a heritage.

I think the most beautiful truths are woven together with mystery. We tether ourselves to many things but what if we actually clothed ourselves with humility—recognizing our frazzled moments are patchwork of possibility. .

While I have given a TEDxtalk, I have never shared anything so personal in nature before and I am deeply grateful for the experience. I did not realize how many women felt invisible or struggled with racism in the W+F community until I shared and they came forward to tell me their stories. There were women from immigrant families , women whose husbands had been called, “virus.” and women are struggling to navigate the cultural divide I straddle daily. I know what I shared was not flawless but it was honest and a raw retelling of how homeschooling had been a haven for healing.

The finite bounds of what we can or cannot do as humans tethers us to a shared humanity. It drives me to search for beauty in limitation. It is through the mending and tending that we heal, our fragmented and frazzled efforts for whimsy and wonder, culminate to reflect the ways we have mended and tended to hearts, these seemingly broken moments alone are but scraps but together they become art.

“*To Janessa: We do all experience bias and I wonder if we all unconsciously possess some form of it as well. I am the first to confess the limitations of my own understanding and strength to juggle the ideas within and share them in a cohesive manner, I appreciate your candor and our conversation in the elevator. I used the phrase, “a woven childhood” to describe the atmosphere I sought to cultivate in my home because of words that Elle of @wovenchildhood wrote and I finally got to meet in person. She is just as delightful as I thought she would be and anything I shared about “reclaiming childhood or reclaiming childhood” is most certainly inspired by Ainsley’s words and wisdom over the years!