Equinox

In the spring of 2023, I started threading this piece. My father was diagnosed with lung cancer in May, and I was diagnosed with Cushing Syndrome, a mass had grown on my adrenal gland and would need to be removed. It was making my hormones haywire. I was sick and tired, I had gained over thirty pounds, headaches, and palpitations. I was trying to beat a deadline. I was going in for surgery on August 2nd. I finished threading on July 28th. I began teaching on August 23rd. Because it was abdominal surgery I was supposed to do very little for 6-8 weeks. In October I finally was feeling a bit like myself. However, my father went in for emergency gall bladder surgery on November 13th. He was undergoing treatment for lung cancer and was in between chemo and radiation. On November 28th he died, the cancer had traveled to his liver, and spread very quickly when they took his gall bladder. His funeral was on December 5th. I then began the process of taking care of his estate. Over Christmas break I finally wove the piece. It is titled Equinox​, after my mother and father. She was born on the fall equinox and he was born on the spring. My parents complemented each other. In this piece the design in reverse on each side. The beauty of the piece is contrasted with the challenges of this year. It is a piece of patience, process, grief, and healing.