There are many benefits to living with an artist. I had a bit of a funk today at the thought of Maria leaving for India tomorrow, and after an hour or so, it passed. I decided it would be unnatural not to take a moment to feel some sadness at being apart from her for two weeks and so far away.

There is something cleansing and beautiful about sadness, I don’t ever wish to deny it.

I love her way too much not to miss her. At the same time, I am excited about my chance to focus on my book and also to be with myself and get somewhat re-acquainted. Then, she sat down and made this lovely necklace right in front of  me, the beads dame from a local bead shop (Over The Moon) and the Virgin Mary medal came from a reader of Maria’s blog who bought it years ago along with a Mother Teresa postcard.

She sent it in honor of the India trip Maria is taking. Maria is taking the Mother Teresa card with her and made a necklace out of the Virgin Mary medal – she bought it years ago at JFK Airport in New York – and an Indian elephant medallion. I gave her a wooden carving of the Hindu God Ganesh, the God of well-being. She gave it to me, and I gave it back to her to take on her trip.

She got a wire and places some colorful beads on it, added the medals and tied it. It will stay around my neck.

So we each have something of the other, we will never be truly apart, not even when she is 8,000 miles apart. Love is not about geography, it is a soul connection.

As I’ve written, I’m not conventionally religious but Christian symbols have meaning for me, Jesus cared passionately about helping the poor and listening to the people, his ideas are sometimes lost but they still have power, at least for me, and for many Christians.

In the Catholic Church, veneration of Mary, mother of Jesus encompasses various Marian devotions, which includes prayer, pious acts, visual arts, poetry and music. I wonder how many of the opportunistic politicians who so invoke the name of Jesus and his Mother know any of this.

This is a good medal for me to wear, I am also wearing a cross now to remind me to show love and mercy,  and walk humbly. A lot of Christian symbolism in my necklaces, it feels right for now. This is not about being devout for me, but being spiritual and grounded.

In the late afternoon, my funk lifted, and I got excited again for this wonderful opportunity for Maria. She so deserves it, and I can hardly bear to wait to hear her stories of her trip. She will be writing daily on her blog.

I will be working daily on my blog and my  book, a special time for both of us. She leaves first thing in the morning.