Talking about how to ease trauma today.
Meet Heather Lagoe.
She is awesome and you will see why after you watch our video.
I met Heather in the airport a few weeks ago and it was as if our souls recognized each other. We chatted like we knew each other forever.
I was so intrigued with what she was doing, I knew I had to share her story with all of you. So this past week, we made a video together so she can tell you how her business is set up to ease trauma and the anxiety that comes with it for herself and her customers.
Ease Trauma with Sparrow Bracelets
She started a business, Sparrow Bracelets, that is born out of love and it has given her back much more than she gives. And that says a lot, because this women is hell-bent on giving.
Watch the video and see what Sparrow Bracelets has meant to Heather.
(The sound in first minute is low but I hope tolerable. It gets better!)
When trauma or loss happens in a family, here are three reasons to do what Heather is doing.
1. Creativity uses brain space.
Creative, generous projects are healing. Depression and anxiety need brain space to exist. They use your thoughts to breed more negativity and fear. If you were preoccupied with something purposeful and productive, there would be less time to feel down or afraid. Being creative needs loads of brain space because you are problem solving. This gets your frontal lobe working and heals the effects of loss and trauma on the brain.
2. Connecting with others makes you not feel so alone.
Isolation compounds any problem that you have, because the self only exists in relationships. And connecting to others eases our negative emotions. (Not abusive people.) Connecting heals the heart.
3. Giving back gives new meaning to a sad story.
When something happens, our mind wants to makes sense of it. There are many tragedies that happened that make little sense. When something helpful comes out of it, a trauma or loss can have new meaning besides just senselessness. This can be powerfully healing. The person that is lost can now live on or the person who has been victimized has a purpose and identity beyond what happened.
Over to you! I know many of you have started creative projects that ease trauma by giving back. Tell me about what you have done and how it has changed your life?
I lost my son 18 years ago. He was born with anencephaly. He was stillborn. 18 years later I still miss him!! This woman is awesome for what she is doing!! Thank you, Heather!! Thank you, Jodi, for introducing Heather to everyone!!
Chrissy,
I’m sorry about your son. I can imagine he lives strong in your heart. He is always part of you. I’m glad you liked meeting Heather. She is amazing! Love to connect here. xoxo
What a touching story! I love how Heather took a terrible tragedy and poured love & creativity into a beautiful reminder of a soul no longer here. The sparrow image is lovely – I lost a baby at 19 weeks and a dove was an image that resonated with me at the time. The sparrow is in that same vein. I love it and how you met.
Thanks Bernadette, Thanks for sharing your story. I didn’t know and I guess that is the whole point. That we have to keep these children of our heart visible.
Thanks for sharing this beautiful story. I will definitely check out Heather’s jewelry on Etsy. I wish Heather the best of luck as she spreads the lovely message while creating beautiful pieces of jewelry,
Thanks Noelle! So glad to have you here!
Thank you for sharing. We lost our Don just over 4 years ago and it’s family, friends and people like Heather that we draw love peace and support from.
Your words are so beautiful, Tanya, I guess that is the most important thing is to connect and find love to keep Don embodied. xoxo
That is a beautiful story! I lost my son Ben to suicide 2 years and almost 3 months ago. Your children are always your babies, regardless of age. The only way I have made it, is to share and listen to other’s share their stories of loss and love. I am a Mentor for other grieving parents now via the MISS Foundation. Only grieving parents know what child loss is really like. Thank you Heather for spreading your love! Thank you Jodi for spreading yours always.
Don’t put me in the drawing- I wanted only to give you both a hug! <3
Chris, you are so beautiful. Thank you for spreading the love and reaching out to grieving parents. It is the worst kind of loss and you are doing God’s work. You feel less invisible when you connect, but most important, Ben is visible. Hugs to you, Chris. Bless you. Thank you so much for sharing your love and Ben with us and with the world. xoxo
Great video ladies! I am deeply sorry that you, your loved ones, or in fact, anyone may have to endure such a traumatic loss or experience in life. My girlfriend and I are very Spiritual and live Christian lives. That is, we depend on the Divine for everything, and we trust and have faith in the Divine that every experience in this physical life is truly a Spiritual building process that was perfectly designed for our greater good. Therefore, even the valleys that we sometimes must endure are given to us through Grace in order for us to develop our Spirits and to ready ourselves for getting back to our true eternal home, where there is nothing but Love,Truth, Joy, and Happiness. Blessings to both of you, and may you and others prosper by your wonderful efforts to make changes for the good of everyone!
Beautiful words!
I didn’t do any creative project, something to give back to others, but I agree that giving, whatever it is that we give, helps a lot healing our losses.
Loss for me is not only death. Loss can be so many different things. My biggest loss was the lack of “mother’s love” in my life and it helps me to give this kind of love, attention, care and affection to people around me.
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You cook and clean and try to help everyone who is in pain by problem solving. Problem solving/organizing/cooking etc are all creative projects! You do them constantly, my dear. You are everyone’s mom. It is in your medicine bag!
Thank you for sharing this story. I was so moved by Heather’s commitment to this cause, even though it wasn’t her who directly experienced the loss. She really understands the issue. I think it’s generally hard for people who have not gone through it to understand the depth and complexity of emotions that the experience brings. Thanks again for introducing me to her and her business!
Isn’t she awesome? Thanks for seeing it too!
What a beautiful message and beautiful work! Thanks so much for sharing this, Jodi. It’s inspiring; I would love to work toward using my creativity to give back. Thank you Heather & Jodi for your inspiration and compassion!
Use your creativity to give to yourself! You are welcome!
This is wonderful. Last year was a really hard year for me. My uncle had an aneurysm and stroke in February. In April shortly after my birthday, my mother suffered a brain aneurysm. A week after that I was diagnosed with a debilitating intestinal disease. Then in October my best friends father past away. Later that year in December I lost my grandmother. Yesterday has been a year since my grandmother passed away. I am lucky and thankful to have my mother and uncle still. They are not the same and never will be after their aneurysms, but instill have them.
Oh Amy, What a year! How did you make it through all of that?
I absolutely have Heather’s niece in my life now. Every time I see a sparrow I will think of her and all of the souls she is healing despite her not being able to be born onto this earth in physical form at that time. Such a beautiful story Jodi. And I agree, you and Heather will be life long friends. I feel the same heart and soul energy radiating from both of you!! <3<3<3
Ripples going on and on! Thank you, and thank you for sharing and “seeing” us!
Jodi- Great interview. What compassion Heather has. She is wonderful! I’ve made custom jewelry for others honoring lives lived, and it is always very humbling and a meaningful process.
Thank you, Loretta!
I recently had this revelation myself. When I start to feel overwhelmed I decided I have to “get out of my own head” for a while. Helping others and putting the focus on someone else helps me gain new perspective to come at my problems feeling refreshed.
What a beautiful story! I love how she is giving back after loss and has opened her heart and her talents to others!
Im so very touched by Heathers story and her beautiful soul in giving back. Im big on symbols and meaningful things. Whether others can enjoy it themselves or just for my own personal comfort. God spared my sons life when he was 9 when he had a severe asthma attack. He had no pulse and was put on life support. Thankfully amazing doctors were caring for him, and now hes 20 and playing college baseball. This was the first of many traumatic events i have been thru in the past years. I suffered a “breakdown” at my job in 2010 and ive never been the same. I barely leave my house. Heathers story is so encouraging to me because i LOVE giving and im very creative and always wishing i could combine the two. Maybe this is the encouragement i needed. Thank you
Hi Jodi Aman,
I am first time on your site and really got so impressed.
What a well written post indeed.
I like the tagged video and smiling pic of your as well.
Thanks for sharing….
Once again, This changed my day and week. This running a business from a foundation of love and service to others, can’t fail in my opinion. So glad you both found a soul sister and were able to enjoy and share this experience with everyone this Holiday Season! Thank You Jodi and Heather!
Good Stuff!
When I met my husband, his mother had been living with cancer for over a year. She rapidly declined in health, and by the winter of 2012 she was in hospice care. I remember feeling so scared–I was faced with my own mortality, as well as the mortality of my loved ones. I wasn’t sure how to be a supportive partner in this journey with my husband. When I felt myself slipping into a major depressive episode, I decided to take action. I like what you said, Jodi, about doing things to take up the brain space that my depression and anxiety so often creeps into. I focused on my husband in this heartbreaking time, and reminded myself that as hard as it was to see my mother in law in this state, it was the only time I would have with her. My husband and I decided in April 2012 to move our wedding up a year, and held a small family ceremony so that she was able to be there for her oldest son’s wedding. It was the best thing we could have done, and it changed my life to be able to do something that I saw as so small (I love my husband and the time of our wedding was not a major concern for me) but had such a large impact. It gave my mother in law peace and joy in her final days. My husband and I have now been married for three years. Heather, your jewelry is inspiring, as is the story behind it! God bless!
Thank you for the story. These message was very special to me. I love the symbolism of the name of her jewelry and how it was conceptualized.
My sister, Kay, was murdered in 2010.
I would LOVE to wear this gorgeous bracelet in her honor.
I am sooo inspired by this video.
thank you. xxxxxx KISS from MN.
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What a beautiful story to share, Jodi. Heather’s work is gorgeous! I am tempted to get a piece 🙂 I don’t feel I have given back in this way. My book is a creative piece of me though, that I wrote to help others going through similar challenges. Does that count? I’m Canadian so I can’t participate in the give away but it is so generous of you and Heather to do this!!
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