Cheers to this sweet photo of my grandmother Sylvia and I, when I was a baby 👶🌷 She was always such a nurturing presence in my life- always loved me through all my waves. She would read to me stories she adored while I curled up in her lap and swayed gently from side to side. Her smile was remarkable, and my eyes would widen with wonder and curiosity when embraced by her love! 🐿
In my childhood, my family would go visit her in the Sierra Nevada mountains maybe once or twice a year. I have fond memories of the windy roads and beautiful ponderosa pines we traveled through to get to her sweet abode. The Yuba River was a delight to witness too on the drive. I remember the small swung open gate and uneven, natural driveway, and the fresh crisp air when arriving. This, I will always hold dear to my heart ❤
Within her space, peace was also reflected - tie dye curtains and 70s orange carpet, large calendars she made of her friends in the hallway and odes to love. It was all so precious :')
Her love to me was pure. She always welcomed all into her space with open, loving arms. Even friends we had come visit, or friends of friends that would drop by. And the interactive games she had for us kids to play with too were fun - Lincoln logs, blockhead, Granny's house, Indian chief... It was always a sweet time, unique in its own way and different from all other play experiences I had grown up with out in the suburbs ✨ She created a sacred and safe space for everyone to be their natural and radiant selves, and it was beautiful!
It wasn't until I was in my early teens that I realized how remarkable of a woman she was. All of it was so natural and normalized to me as "grandmother-ly energy". The years following her publication of Symbolia is when everything started to click for me - the powerful woman that she was and the lasting impact she had on others. And as time went on, I continued to feel more and more drawn to her lifestyle and her way of being 🍃
This is when I delved into her work and into learning more about who she was. The teachings that she shared with me personally, along with the teachings she left in the book for the collective have really shaped who I am today. It is with great honor, my mission to carry on this medicine she embedded into Symbolia - so that we may all continue to awaken and tap into deeper parts of ourselves and the way forward 💕
xoxo yours truly,
Ariana