One World One Heart

I heard about this wonderful tradition that has developed in the last few years. Lisa "oceandreamer" Swifka came up with the idea of One World-One Heart in 2007 to coordinate a giveaway to introduce bloggers to one another. She and most of the participants are artists, so you could be a fortunate recipient of a piece of beautiful art.

Winning the giveaway isn't really the point. (Of course, everyone likes to be a winner.) It's a way to touch other people's hearts in a sincere manner. It fosters an audience for new and established blogs. It's an icebreaker to encourage people to introduce themselves on a global level.





Maybe I can knit something for next year's event, but not this year. I don't need the pressure of the deadline looming over my head. It would probably not get completed in a timely fashion. It's also possible the recipient might not live in a cold climate. My inspiration has come from

this book

and this CD

I could give one item to two individuals, but I'm opting for one winner. They complement each other, and they don't seem to want to be separated.

Ann Hood writes about the searing irrational nature of grief in one of the most profound books I've read on the grieving process. This is high praise, because I've read a lot of books on the subject as I've been wending my way through widowhood. I had been curious about Into White, but hadn't listened to any of the tracks before I received it as a gift from my sister Barbara. She gave it to me a week after my husband Michael died. It was the perfect collection of lullabyes to salve my wounded heart. I hope the combination will help someone else in their dark night of the soul. It's not a question of "if" you'll experience a devastating loss of a loved one--but "when". What I've learned along the way is that we get by with a little help from our friends and the kindness of strangers.
I found out through my Thanksgiving giveaway that I NEED each person's email address or active blog link in the comment. There were many people I wanted to contact personally after I read the comments and couldn't. Even if you have a Blogger account, I need a way to contact you directly to inform you that you've won. If you'd like to join in the fun, please leave your comment on this post (only).
Thank you for stopping by my virtual home. Comments will close at 12:00 a.m. EST on February 12. There will be a random drawing of the commenters, and I will announce the winner's name on my blog on February 12, 2009. Let's spread the love!