Week 6: Gratitude Ribbon

After considering an eco-friendly and biodegradable gratitude tie made from cordage out of the garden and some seed bomb paper, I decided to go with creating a hand kite. I had some supplies on hand to make one for my daughter's Spring Equinox basket, and loved the idea of the ribbons rippling in the breeze carrying my gratitude into the wind. I use some colors that were personally meaningful to me, and chose a lemon yellow ribbon tied in the center on which to write a string of multiple gratitudes. 

Photo: my gratitude hand kite hanging from the red pine. (8 March 2021)

There's a red pine tree towards the edge of the woods that has become very special to us as a place of ritual and play. In the warmer months we usually have my daughter's water table position beneath this tree, and her small outdoor playground set up is nearby. We have other special handkites hanging from the branches to elevate the space, in addition to a special wind chime that was a gift from my in-laws. This used to hang in the yard of my grandparents-in-law's home, and is a depiction of the Celtic Jack in the Green that ties into our shared family and spiritual heritage. It was very special to spend time making a beautiful handkite and thinking of all my blessings, and then to go hang it from the tree branches and such beautiful and sunny early spring weather. 

Photo: my gratitude handkite next to Green Man wind chimes in our special pine tree. (8 March 2021)

Sidenote: I loved this activity, because it reminds me of the Peace Tree we have on my alma mater's campus. Each spring towards the end of March/beginning of April the WVU Native American Studies program hosts a Peace Tree ceremony with an Elder-In-Residence with a lot of interesting programming, lectures, talks, and other learning opportunities. The culminative event is a ceremony during which everyone gathers around a white pine peace tree in the Haudenosaunee tradition and sings honoring songs, offers tobacco, and wraps prayer ribbons around the branches before sharing a special lunch. I always very much enjoyed participating, especially when I was in the Native American Studies student group and the associated teaching drum which usually drums during the event, and have enjoyed bringing my little one in recent years. There was no public peace tree ceremony last year due to the pandemic closures, and I don't believe there will be one this year, but I look forward to gathering like this again once the pandemic is over.