It's June and Pride Month. We have been reflecting on the progress that has been made in loving and accepting people as they are instead of forcing them to conform to societal expectations. The message "Be All of You" came to mind as a reminder not just for the LBTQIA2S+ community, but to all humankind. It's our sincere hope that we can fully live all aspects of our personalities instead of hiding parts of ourselves because we fear the judgment of others. Each person is a beautiful mixture of talents and passions. Too often we try to pick out the parts of ourselves that we think others will accept and put those on display, damping down or even extinguishing parts of ourselves in the process. We thought the paint pour method that we used to decorate our rocks was a fitting analogy; each colour was layered in a cup and then poured out, inextricably existing together, creating a unique beauty that could never be repeated in exactly the same way. As a team, our group created many one-of-a-kind marble-painted rocks. Each was so unique and beautiful that it had us reflecting on how each and every one of us is also a unique creation.
We chose "Be All of You" as a reminder to everyone to be their most authentic selves.
Anna - I gave my rock to a friend who was seeking some advice. She wondered how I had made decisions when I felt at a crossroads in life. I let her know that decisions became more intuitive after I spent time getting to know all of me.
Erika - I feel like ‘Be All of You’ would set a great tone for a budding friendship, so I hid my rock for a new friend and neighbour whom I’m excited to get to know. I told her that I was part of a unique team event and we were doing a ‘reverse’ scavenger hunt and she would need to hunt for a treasure that I had hidden in her garden. When she found her rock, she could decide to keep it or pass it on. She thought the painted rock was beautiful and was excited to keep the rock on its journey for other friends in need of our message.
Lisa - I hid my beautiful marbled rock in my mom's vehicle as a reminder to her that she is amazing. She found the rock after returning home and it is now displayed in her front garden for her to see daily.
Jenni - The rock with the words “be all of you” reminded me of a dear friend who blazes her own path in this world. She has shown me the power in simply being you, the strength that emerges by living your truth. The multilayered paint represents the continuous movement within our lives, ever-changing and more beautiful as the colours emerge.
