Wednesday, April 24, 2013

On Mushrooms and Tender Strength

“Love will creep where it cannot go, will accomplish that by imperceptible methods,- being its own lever, fulcrum, and power, – which force could never achieve. Have you not seen the woods, in a late autumn morning, a poor fungus or mushroom, – a plant without any solidity, nay, that seemed nothing but a soft mush or jelly,-by its constant, total, and inconceivably gentle pushing, manage to break its way up through the frosty ground and to actually lift a hard crust on its head? It is the symbol of power of kindness."
                                                   --Ralph Waldo Emerson

                                                    



Indeed, the mighty mushroom
first sign of life in darkness and dankness
complicated and resilient 
.


Wild fungi remind me well that one doesn't have to build a fortress around the heart to thrive. All that needs be done is to endure and shine.

to try
and then try again
over and over,
the sum of effort yielding a life worth loving.


In this world of big and shiny city life all it takes is a retreat to the redwoods near the coast to see Emerson's words in fruitbody flesh
and be reminded of how strong softness can be.


It's ok to be full of love
it's wonderful to forgive
.


I don't always do it well, do you?
Sometimes I cling to my hurts and nurse them, building the stories up to be the stuff of legend until I laughingly remember how little that serves
and once again take up the path of remembering gratitude and breath.

I used to indulge long and often in these little tantrums
but now it's sometimes as brief as a walk before I come around

or remembering in my hot anger the grace that comes
in a dear friend telling me about bird calls over a simple lunch by the ocean...
the beautiful things in life that serve as a raft in the swift and deadly current of, "He did what?"


And thus reminded it is not long
before my heart bursts through the loam in beautiful color
peach as my baby's cheek
or deep orange like a yolk...

little kindness fungi everywhere we look friends: pay attention
to the dark places.

*

I celebrate the mighty mushroom with two adornments.
They are watercolor paintings of wild and tiny fungus
on enameled copper.

The earrings are post closure with tiny ferns roll-printed on the reverse side where they hug your ear
crafted of fine silver bezel and sterling.

The lariat necklace is a marriage of two types of fungi
tethered by a graceful and strong sterling chain and copper accents on the smaller piece.
The reverse side is counter-enameled a rich and earthy tan.

Both pieces are available 


.

I encourage you to enter the giveaway
if you've not already done so

and I hope that you remember the power of tender things this fine day.

xoxo,
Sunny









4 comments:

Heidi said...

Sunny, I feel as though I have a lot to learn from you. I am only slightly realizing, now, that those built-up legends are so wrong... such a wrong way to live. endure and to shine... that is a good mantra to live by.

beautiful jewelry! I love the earrings.

Hollie said...

So much beauty here, both in work and words. I used to hold on to my hurts until they swelled into a giant rock in my heart. I have learned over the years to let go and forgive, even when it is not deserved. It hurts my soul to much to keep it bottled in.

Joanne said...

Beautiful. I need to revisit Emerson, but then again, your words are just as touching.

Anonymous said...

Tender strength, indeed. Such a gorgeous necklace and possibly the darlingest earrings I've ever seen! Just the mere shape of mushrooms and toadstools make me smile...but then, they became quite magical after we were read Enid Blyton's Faraway Tree. Beautiful celebration of what can come from the dark places. I wouldn't want to dwell there always, but it's the one place where I'm broken open. The place, I think, where we all learn to be brave. (Off to find some fungi!)
xo