Weaver Marilyn Webster
Weaver Marilyn Webster is donating a portion of sales through November to support artists affected by the hurricanes and wildfires that have affected this country and its territories. She shared with us this reflection on processing the immensity of these disasters:
My Heart is Heavy
My heart is heavy.
Weighed down by all the destruction and turmoil across this country.
Homes lost. To fire. To water. To wind.
I write these words as fires burn in northern California where I used to live. Friends and family have lost so much.
And here I am getting ready to open my studio to visitors. Offering handwoven textiles to enhance home, both the physical space and the home you carry within yourself.
My heart is heavy.
Weighed down by all the destruction and turmoil across this country.
Homes lost. To fire. To water. To wind.
I write these words as fires burn in northern California where I used to live. Friends and family have lost so much.
And here I am getting ready to open my studio to visitors. Offering handwoven textiles to enhance home, both the physical space and the home you carry within yourself.
I don’t know what to say to ease pain and loss. I’m not sure that words are what is needed right now. Sometimes we want to cry without assurances that everything will be okay. We just want company and to be told it’s okay to cry, to grieve. Not to search for deeper meanings or silver linings. To simply be with the pain as it moves through you and expresses itself in tears.
My heart is heavy and I feel helpless. I wonder if weaving makes sense. Yet it offers me some solace. In its wordlessness. In the slow creation of cloth. In the repetitive, rhythmic movements. A chance to be present with what is. And to make something beautiful.
A friend recently asked me if weaving is a form of prayer. I believe it is.
A wordless prayer.
A prayer for the person who uses it.
A prayer for kindness and connection in our world.
A prayer for more beauty in our lives.
A prayer for nourishment and deep self-care.
Tibetan prayer flags carry prayers on the wind to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. Perhaps the towels and napkins I weave are prayer cloths, carrying my prayers into homes, blessing those who use them.
Visit Marilyn’s blog.