Hope and Life

Two of the eleven Monterey Park Tabiji Eggshells now have words, after many months of silence!

• Hope

• Life

Hope, because real hope is steely and determined, standing its ground despite all that would tell it to give up and go home. Nope. It stays. If hope had shoes, they would be cleats. I especially like that the middle of the “E” comes right out of the gold dot in the middle.

Life, because that’s our strongest act of resistance in the face of death. Living fully and being a life-giving presence wherever we go is a gift we can give.

The letters are supported by the broken edges of the eggshells, threads arcing upward into the space above. This is what healing looks like - it begins in the brokenness, not apart from it. The two can be integrated, becoming part of the next chapter to come. The gold thread is rough and uneven because the brave texture of hope and life is forged in suffering. That is what builds depth and compassion in us.

The nine remaining Tabiji Eggshells remain empty, echoing the silent pain of trauma. Together, the eleven speak my heart about the Lunar New Year shootings in Monterey Park. This body of work feels complete, though the grief itself continues, albeit a little more softly now. This has been the longest process-oriented art and poetry project thus far. Art and the creative process have been my wise, compassionate companions.

On May 20th, I’ll get to partner with the Chinatown Service Center to facilitate an interactive community art project to further support the grieving and healing process here. I’m super excited!