That little piece of thread.  You know the one.  You want to pull it, you want to cut it, but you know that if you do, that seam will be broken and everything will unravel.

Many times over the last year I’ve had that feeling, that longing to pull the thread, to let things unravel.  Sitting by my mom’s bedside, especially in those last two weeks, alone with her at night in the hospice room, listening so closely to every breath, I had to stop myself from pulling on that thread.  She needed me.  I couldn’t let myself unravel.

 

We all felt it– she was so weak, we all had to be her strength.  Then when she was gone, we were able to allow ourselves to unravel, to feel and express those emotions we’d dammed up for so long.  Our cloaks were undone but we didn’t leave them in a discarded pile on the floor.  We picked up the threads and began to weave a new story.  One that included her memory, her spirit, her strength.  It won’t look the same as before, not even close, we’re rebuilding into a completely different kind of beautiful.

The sculptural work of El Paso artist Adrian Esparza uses threads from Mexican sarapes and reconstructs them into architectural-like wall sculptures.  To see more of his work, please visit the website of his representing gallery, Taubert Contemporary.

All images via Taubert Contemporary.  Artist found via Beautiful Decay.