Good morning, dear readers! I hope this post finds you well and you had a wonderful weekend. I had a rather intense weekend as a result of participating in my local Out of the Darkness walk. This walk is to raise funds for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and I have spearheaded a campaign, called Lacquer for Life, to do so. If you would like to help, please check out my post about Lacquer for Life here; it contains all the links to donate as well as a raffle for an amazing prize filled with several stunning indie polishes made exclusively for this event.
"When it is darkest, men see the stars."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
I wanted to have my nails be meaningful for the walk, and this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson felt the most appropriate for the situation and has inspired me throughout the years. I have seen it written with slight modifications and have never been able to locate the exact source, but the idea is always the same: there is something magnificent in the darkest of times if you are willing to look. It may seem as though it comes easy to me to write this, but I have seen those dark times myself; I know just how hard it is to find something awe-inspiring when all you see is darkness and just want to let go. I am a survivor by many definitions of the word, and the stars in the sky have always given me solace when nothing else could. My manicure for the walk is the tip of a hat to both Emerson's quote and those stars.
Karma's Kiss Lacquer The Little Liar
Color Club: Antiquated
NailVinyls: Stars and Starburst Vinyl Patterns
Star glitters pulled from this glitter topper by Born Pretty Store
The walk itself was very personal for me and many of the participants, but I did want to share a few photos from the beginning at check-in prior to the walk start.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention had a tent set up with a lot of useful information. They also had a stand up front that contained honor beads.
All registered walkers were encouraged to wear honor beads for the walk and each colour had a different significance.
When I first got to the tent, I was asked about the T-shirt I was wearing. I had this shirt made up to represent the Lacquer for Life campaign. Several of the indie artists involved in the fundraiser have personal experience with suicide, and I wanted to honor their losses and experiences in addition to my own. I will not share their stories as they are not mine to tell, but I was asked to wear honor beads for all the creators that could not be with me to walk on Saturday.
There were a few tents up with different resources available to the local community. The most significant truth I learned from the Lacquer for Life campaign is there is still a stigma about mental illness and suicide. Mental illness still exists, regardless of whether or not people want to acknowledge it, and it is this evasion that keeps those in need from getting help.
My last stop before the walk was the wall of remembrance. We were given a rose or a petal in which to write a name or a message to those we had lost to suicide. It was a powerful and emotional experience for many people at the event.
You are always in our hearts and will be missed!
Lacquer for Life
If you have made it through this post, I thank you, dear reader. This walk was a painful experience for me and brought back some difficult memories, but I would do it all over again to help someone else in need. If you would like to help, please consider donating to Lacquer for Life here. If you donate by tonight, you may be eligible to enter the raffle and win the Lacquer for Life indie nail polish prize pack! The details about the raffle and the prize can be found on my blog post here.
Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day!
XO!
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