For the past month or two I have had angels on my mind. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because the holiday season always evokes feelings of longing for loved ones that have passed on from this world. Maybe it’s a bit of yearning for past Christmases when the season felt magical instead of busy and rushed. I don’t know exactly why…but every time I set out to paint these days I find myself making angels…

I have been incredibly lucky that I was able to have all of my grandparents in my life until adulthood. They watched me graduate from high school and college. They met my husband and knew our first child. And as long as they were living they were at the center of every single holiday. Last year I celebrated my first Christmas without any grandparents. Nanny, my last living grandparent, lost her battle with Lewy Body Dementia just a week before Christmas. Even in my forties celebrating Christmas without grandparents is a tough pill to swallow. I miss listening to the same stories we have heard year over year; eating the pies, cakes and fudge that only grandmothers can make. I miss all of it.

This year my children will celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas with one less grandparent, and it breaks my heart for them to already know what that absence feels like. My mother-in-law, their Nonna, was the dearest of the dear and she loved her family with all of her heart. She, too, was the centerpiece of her family celebrations, telling stories and baking her famous chocolate chip cookies. To say she will be missed is an understatement.

I had already begun painting this collection of angels before my mother-in-law passed away. As her health waned and her days became numbered this small collection of angel paintings became more and more poignant for me. With each brush stroke it became a celebration of the people who have loved us and shaped us with their warmth and spirit, whether they are still living on this earth or only in our hearts. I think these lyrics from the song “Angels Among Us” by country music group Alabama describe it best:

Oh, I believe there are angels among us
Sent down to us from somewhere up above
They come to you and me in our darkest hours
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give
To guide us with the light of love

Nanny, Big Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, and our sweet Nonna, I dedicate this post to you. Thank you for the light you have shone on this world. You are our angels.

Who are your angels? I’d love to hear about the special ones that light up your world. Please share in the comments below and we can celebrate all of our angels together!

xo…

ki