Undying love... I painted this for my Dad’s 85th birthday back in 2020. I had planned to fly back to Scotland to celebrate with him & then... the world stopped. I was so deeply saddened thinking about him spending this huge milestone alone... and so I painted. I painted the sparrows he loves so much surrounded by the sweet peas that my Mum loved so much & it winged it’s way to him for his birthday instead of me. Yesterday was 30 years since we lost my Mum, the day before Valentine’s Day. I often forget the day she left this world until it is upon me, though I never forget the day she came into this world, I celebrate that day. It’s like I just want to forget February 13th, forget the most painful day of my life. So little is taught around grieving in our culture & through our culture I was taught to believe that after crying for weeks maybe months, that you just have to get on with life. How do you do that when your world falls apart & you maybe don’t know how to even function in the world anymore? Over the years I slowly found my way through the grief & have found ways to remember her & connect with her... writing letters to her, making foods that she loved, planting flowers that she loved. Yet yesterday I felt so far away from her... And so... after 30 years, I am feeling deeply the need not to forget but to remember this day, to remember & celebrate her life & my love for her on this day. And so today I am planting sweet peas for her. 💗 #undyinglove