giraffe stamp

my junior year in college, i took an art class for one of my summer classes. one of my favorite products from the class is this stamp i made. i had taken a picture from the san francisco zoo of two giraffes. i sketched the photo in my book but changed the giraffes slightly so it looked like they were embracing. then, we placed our sketches on top of a block of rubber (perhaps it was a large eraser, i've heard that is a popular way to start making stamps.) we carved out the stamp with this little handheld tool and i was really impressed with how good it turned out! the stamp eventually broke apart, and this is all i have left. i keep it in a little collage on corkboard, along with a few other little things i've done.

when i met marc, he had been previously married. he and his ex-wife lost their son in labor. whenever he would speak of zion, his son, i felt he brought me into very hallowed, sorrowed space. it is a privilege and honor to share in another person's grief.

on our first date, marc and i went to the zoo, among other places. it was an amazing, wonderful day! a ten-hour first date and soooo fun. (i will definitely tell you that story sometime soon!) we took all kinds of pictures, including one of a giraffe- marc's reminder of his son. on our third date, he came to my house. he asked about every... single... thing... on my walls. that spoke to my heart, because my walls hold so much meaning. when i showed him this picture, neither of us said anything, but all of a sudden, the picture took on such a different meaning to me. where i used to see only love, i now see comfort, and sympathy, and support. the love itself in the picture seems deeper. i know that there isn't a baby in this picture, and i'm not foolish enough to believe i understand that incredible pain. but i know what it feels like to love someone who does. and now i like that picture even more.