Always In My Heart

I realized I never shared this nonfiction short work on my blogs about the experience of losing my first love my daughter. Please go to this link: Always In My Heart. In order to read my story and see how I decided not to let this loss define how I lived my life.  This may be especially helpful to those dealing with a miscarriage right now in their lives, or for anyone who ever has felt the pain of losing a child.  I urge you to read this short work to find some semblance of solace. Know that your rainbow exists, it’s just a little further down your life’s path than you expected.

Wishing you happiness!

Rainbows of Happiness LLC

Weekly Photo Challenge-Between

This week’s photo challenge for the Daily Post asks photographers to show the concept of between whether through objects, people, the actual feeling of feeling torn between decisions etc.  Here are a few examples I decided on for the subject of “between” hope you enjoy!

A landscape capture using depth of field to show a tree in the distance between the space in the branches of another tree. The viewer gains more of the surroundings as a result of peering through the space created between the branches.

The love shared between mother and daughter.  This bond is eternal and nothing can ever come between them to break this special connection!

I discovered this spider web formed between two tree branches.

Hidden deep between the blades of grass I uncovered this sparkling water droplet resting on a blade of grass.  It reflected the light beautifully casting a rainbow colored light on the blade upon which it was sitting.  It looked like a jewel resting regally between the vibrant green blades of grass!

This was an interesting addition to the Eiffel Tower when I was in France last month. Hanging between the usually open space was an inflatable tennis ball to advertise the tennis tournament the following week.  The inflatable ball was illuminated at night so it could easily be seen from afar.

So there you have it some very different depictions of the challenge of between.  What ways can you think you to depict the theme of between?

Weekly Photo Challenge- Between

Recollections From a Compact Mirror

“I already know what you’re thinking. Who would want a used up, scratched compact with a miniature powdering puff so small. It would take days to apply my cover up! And what do the letters VF on the cover even mean?”

“Well my friends let me recount a little of my history to you and the secrets lying within me, then maybe you’ll come to see that I am in no way ordinary, but in fact extraordinary! That my scratches   are part of my charm, and why my cover bears the letters VF upon it.”

“I belonged to a woman named Vera Falvo, those are her initials engraved on my cover.  She wasn’t one for fancy, frivolous items which wasted money.  For some reason, she was drawn to me upon seeing me in the shop.  Back then, my paint was lustrous and the sunlight bounced off my gleaming mirror sending rainbows of color cascading off the surrounding walls.  I was quite a stunning sight to behold.  The intricate design created on my cover, coupled with the fresh miniature powder puff to apply the powder once contained within were an immediate draw.  The additional pocket found on my powder puff was designed for a finger to be slipped inside to apply powder effortlessly! I was quite revolutionary in design for that pre-Depression era.”

“Vera fell in love with me instantly, but being the type of woman who didn’t approve of spending money on herself, she left me at the store, heading home to care for her young children and husband.  Money was tight, I was a luxury she could certainly get by without.  That night as her family sat around the dinner table, she must have mentioned seeing me in the shop, and her husband must have picked up on the longing in her voice, because the next day I found myself lifted from the display case, carried to the counter by the shop owner, to be shown to a gruff sounding male with blue eyes as bright as the sky.  (I knew they matched the sky because I’d seen hints of it from my perch in the shop through the glass storefront window).  Then I heard the shopkeeper say,

“Sir if you’d like I could engrave your wife’s initials on the compact’s cover.”

“Why not, she deserves to have something pretty” the blue eyed man responded.

“The next thing I felt was something sharp tearing into my lovely painted cover, but when it stopped I caught a glimpse of myself in the store’s mirror on the countertop and saw I now had the letters VF inscribed on me in beautiful cursive script.  Then everything went dark as I was carefully wrapped and packaged.”

“Suddenly my darkness was brightened by the packaging being excitedly torn away and I was staring at the face of the woman who had lovingly held me in her hands, admiring me only a day prior.  She gasped with delight at the sight of me, running her fingertips over the newly engraved VF, her initials.  Then flung her arms happily around the blue eyed man sitting next to her, watching with pleasure as she unwrapped me.”

“Every day Vera took me out of the box I came in and after inspecting my intricacies, slowly, methodically applied her powder using the specially designed puff.  She even put her favorite pink hued lipstick in the lipstick holder that was attached to me and had also been engraved with her initials. Unfortunately, one day all my powder was used up as well as the lipstick.  Did Vera discard me like some useless object?  No, she kept me out to decorate the surface of her vanity.  One day I felt myself lifted up, and carried off to another part of the house. I thought this was it for me, she was going to shove me in a drawer somewhere since I had outlived my purpose.  Suddenly, I felt my little powder puff removed as I was laid on a table.  Then Vera placed something in the finger pocket of the powder puff, replaced the puff, closed me up, and returned me to my original place on the vanity.  What she placed in the pocket of my powder puff let me know she would always treasure me as special to her.  I breathed a sigh of relief, and set about watching the decades pass from my perch on the vanity. What was it she placed in my pocket you want to know? Look below in the final picture to see.”

A photo of herself was in the pocket!

Daily Prompt Friends

My BFF For Life!

I am a firm believe that we don’t just encounter people in our life randomly, they are sent to us for a purpose. This is truly the case for my best friend Jaime and myself. We met on the first day of kindergarten when we were five years old, and have been inseparable ever since! (I won’t say how long we’ve been BFF’s to protect our ageless beauty ;), but trust me its been awhile!) She is the most generous, loving, giving, person I have ever met! She doesn’t think twice about helping out another person and would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it! Over the years, our friendship has grown and blossomed making her feel more like the sister I never had, as opposed to just a friend. We have been there for each other for the good times and bad. Weddings, funerals, birthdays, holidays, you name it! The support she has shown me over the years only continues to grow. Even though we live in different states, whenever we get together, we pick up right where we left off! I feel she epitomizes the qualities of a true friend, someone who isn’t there only for the good moments in life, but for the not so good ones too! We have seen each other at our worst times and she always knows just what to say to make me feel better. I hope I do the same for her as well! She has a heart of gold, and this can be seen in how she treats her students and her pets, as well as in her treatment of other individuals. Though we have been friends for many many years, we have never once been in a fight! Honestly! We just have fun together and are there cheering each other on through life’s little and big achievements! I love her like a sister and she is truly the best friend a girl could ask for! She’s a lover of rainbows, dragonflies, and butterflies just like me. She is a dreamer, creative (you should see her paint Tweety Bird on her own nails!), and I don’t think I could ever say enough to describe the truly magnificent individual that she embodies! If you have a friend that you can always count on, that supports you, and accepts you for the person you are no matter what happens in life, treasure that person and that friendship. This is a unique, wonderful gift to find in life. If you are able to have one true, honest to goodness friend in life, never take that or them for granted! I was given a great gift the day I met my BFF, my sister for life, and I am so thankful to have her in my life!