And a Lesson in Impermanence

I decided that each of the prayer flags I create this year will reflect what is happening in my gardens. The hellebores were showing flower buds early in the month, so I chose them to be the focus. As I began gathering the fabrics, I heard from a friend that some of her loved ones were facing potentially serious health concerns. I asked for their favorite colors, including hers. I chose threads in these colors to incorporate into the flag.

As I stitched February’s flag, my thoughts, reflections, prayers and remembrances moved from the personal, spiraling outward to include my local community and friends, then expanding to include the world as a whole. It is interesting to see that one of the fabrics I chose because of its color, has stitched spirals in it.

I really enjoyed creating this fabric collage. It came together so well. I was falling in love with i!. I almost decided to keep it in my studio. If I hang it outside for all of 2024, it will fade and fray and possibly fall apart!

Then I remembered the practice of Tibetan Buddhist monks who spend many hours creating detailed sand mandalas which are temporary! It is a ritual that reminds them of the reality of impermanence. Which is so opposite of our Western mindset. We want to create something that will last, especially after investing so much time in its creation.

With this reminder, I hung my prayer flag in the garden, next to January’s. The January prayer flag’s message is “believe.” I am choosing to believe that my monthly act of creating something personally meaningful and beautiful, then releasing it to the elements will in some small way contribute to transformation. I know that it has already begun that transformation in me.  

Would you like to join me in this project? If so, get the details here.