Give a Little Bit...

(art journal page - "Love is bountiful" - April 2009)

So I have said it before and I will say it again, always...

Love is the answer to every question.

What do you do when you are feeling desperate, scared and unsure ?

Give some LOVE...to yourself, and to others...it will get you through...

What do you do when you see someone you love hurting, having a painful time dealing with the hard, ugly, sad times of life ?

Give that someone some LOVE...it will get them through...

What do you do when you feel inspired ? When you feel so grateful to be alive in this very moment you could burst? When you feel like this world, and the wonderful human beings in it, are something to be celebrated ?

Send out beams of LOVE in gratitude.

A group of artists, lead by Julie (Land of Lost Luggage), JeriAnn (Commuter's Journal) and Lisa (Lisa Hoffman), came together to give fellow artist, Michelle Ward, some extra big LOVE in a sad and difficult time.

Michelle has provided love, support, inspiration, celebration and wonderful friendship to so many in Blogland, myself included! When her sister Shannon passed away last year , the Blogland community rallyed around Michelle, sending love and care, and hundreds of pink winks her way to help her through. Michelle was so grateful and blown away, as you can imagine, at the genuine LOVE that came her way in her hour of need.

A few months later, JeriAnn and Julie launched the Top Secret Mission to keep the LOVE flowing as Michelle faced the anniversary of Shannon's passing. Each one of us was asked to create a piece of art work inspired by our relationship with Michelle and include a message of love and care with it. Then our fearless leaders gathered the pages created by all 39 of us into a book, sewn together and sealed with all that LOVE ! Michelle received the book just before heading to Minnesota to be with her family for the first summer without their beloved Shannon. She revealed the Book of LOVE on her blog yesterday. (Julie has created a Flick'r page where you can see all the Love Art up close). Michelle's emotion at receiving our gift brought tears to my eyes. She deserves every ounce of the care that went into the project .

(side one of the page I created for Michelle - she was the one who gave me my most favorite nickname ever, The Rock Fairy)

I am so proud and happy to have been been a part of this Top Secret Mission of Love. The rewards of giving LOVE are so abundant, it always leaves me in awe. I am grateful to Julie, JeriAnn and Lisa for bringing it all together and to the other artists who put their hearts into giving the beautiful Michelle, and the world, just a little bit more LOVE.

It is the answer. This I know.

Love BIG today ! It's good for you ! ;)