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10 April 2012

Hope Within

It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: 
it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg.
We are like eggs at present. 
And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg.
We must be hatched or go bad.
~ C.S. Lewis

I have eggs on the brain lately.

I suppose that it could be that we just celebrated Easter and there were colored eggs to be created. 

My daughter and I dabbed paint on our eggs and smooshed them around in plastic baggies for this cool tie dyed, marbelized effect. They are almost too pretty to eat. (Has anyone else ever collected the shells of brightly colored Easter eggs in the hopes of doing miscellaneous craft projects with them? Things like decoupaging them to a picture frame like a funky mosaic? No? Okay, well, then that is just me.)

Did you know that if you hold an egg in your hand it will withstand the pressure and not crack? Their shape makes them perfectly able to withstand a great force of pressure, which is comforting to know when your mother is sitting on you all the time.

Eggs offer up all potential. They are full of promise and symbols of new life. In some traditions, eggs symbolize the balance of the Universe, containing all life, the yin and yang of male and female, yolk and white. Eggs are full of possibilities.



There is mystery hiding within an egg. It is born and yet it is not yet fully developed. It has everything within it to become all it can be but yet it is not ready to fully live until it breaks through its own shell. The bird cannot stay within that cozy world forever, sooner or later it gets cramped in that tiny framework and it is time to test the wings. But if you tap into it and try to coax it out before it is ready, it will die. That little bird must be left to the hard task of busting into the world on its own.

So, too, are we like that egg. There is a massive amount of hope within us but we will never truly live until we break out of our own shell, throw off our artificial protections so that we can truly experience all that there is.


Maybe it is time that I need to be reminded that I am like that egg. I need to let go of the coziness of the limited world that I have come to find myself in and gather courage to chip away at that shell. Sure, it would be easier if someone just handed me wings to fly all bound up with a satin ribbon, but they wouldn't be my wings. I need to earn them. By working my own way out of my protections that I have surrounded myself with, I will find that not only do I have wings to fly but the heart to soar.

Lately, I feel like I am standing on a precipice of dizzying heights, facing a new vista, trying not to look down, yet trying to keep a firm grip on the nest that I have known. Yet things have been set in motion and there is no way that I can cram myself back into the shell from which I have emerged.

{hope within available on Etsy}

It is time to spread my wings and fly.

Your turn...

What protective shell have you surrounded yourself with?
What can you do to earn your wings to fly?
What hopes lie within you?










P.S. It is my day to post over on Earrings Everyday. Come on over and check it out!

18 comments:

  1. These are gorgeous! I love the egg shape, the lovely colors, and the message.

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  2. These are fantastic. They will "fly" off your etsy shelves!

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  3. Beautifully, said, Erin and beautifully made. I really love the shape and sentiment of these.

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  4. Oh Erin, the pendants are wonderful!

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  5. Brings us again to the age old question: hen or egg - who was there first? Happy belated Easter! And wonderful pendants!

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  6. Erin - I know whatever adventure is outside that shell is one you'll meet with grace and creativity! Push out of those boundaries and watch yourself soar.

    You should, oh I don't know - write a book!!!!

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  7. Yes, what Heather said....write a book!
    Your pendants are beautiful, as is your story!

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  8. Wow, I'll never look at eggs in the same way again. What a lovely, thought-provoking post. I can't wait to see what's in store for you.

    Or for me either as I spread my wings with learning new skills (creating my own bezels and enameling beads), meeting others (in person or virtually) in the blogging and jewelry community, and being a published jewelry designer (June, July, August, and Sept. in Bead Trends).

    All the best,
    Cyndi

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  9. The pendants are gorgeous. Looking forward to seeing what you are on the verge of Erin! I know it will be exciting! In my opinion - you have earned your wings - go get what you want.

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  10. Erin you are so right.

    I keep a protective wall around me, my boyfriend is the only one that I allow close to me, and even that was hard at first.
    I could remedy this by allowing my self to open up more, by putting a few cracks in my shell which allows people to peep through a little.

    Your pendants are lovely!

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  11. First your pendants are precious. Each one is a true treasure. Secondly, you are capable of anything Ms. Erin! If you can dream it, YOU can do it! No matter which path you take, slow or fast, smooth or bumpy, we're here to support your adventure and learning. We're here to help you grow and become even more beautiful inside and out!

    Happy hatching chickie!!
    {Hugs!}

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  12. These are such lovely pendants!! Such a gorgeous idea and so beautifully done.

    I can really relate to your egg metaphor. I am just starting out making my own jewellery with the simplest bead-and-wire techniques, and am so inspired by all the amazing blogs and people out there who generously show their work and how they came to think of it. I feel part of a worldwide movement that is very special and - what's the word - non-hierarchical. Everyone helping everyone. The egg metaphor is a bit like that, for me. Creativity as an ongoing cycle of life, not some sort of ladder.

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  13. You fly with those beautiful shimmery (I just know they shimmer!) wings Miss Erin. I can't wait to see where they take you!

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  14. Love your eggy pendants! I tried to comment on Earrings everyday, but for some reason blogger had a problem with that. So I'll tell you here - I love those earrings, and I appreciate the lesson! I need some comtemplation myself - maybe I should go to France?!?!?!

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  15. these are really quite something - it is amazing to watch, in such short time, your increasing skill and artistry develop in this medium...

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  16. Love the pendants-and the sentiment. Great post

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