Honor Flags Project Returns to BlogPaws Conference
It is time to bow our heads, show love and remember, and this year’s BlogPaws Conference will play host to the time-honored tradition that is Honor Flags. Honor Flags remember our dear pet companions who are no longer with us and honor all who are dedicated to rescuing animals.
What Are Honor Flags?
The tradition is based on Tibetan Prayer Flags, which are hung high in the mountains. Winds pick up the flags’ good wishes and spread those wishes as far as the wind can take them. The flags are handmade, and during that process our thoughts and feelings become attached to that flag.
Each flag is as individual as each of us are. The flags are like voices in a choir. Every voice is important and unique, but together they form the choir. It is that is power of love the flags evoke.
How Can I Make an Honor Flag?
If you can write and use glue, have a heart filled with love, then that is all you need to create your piece of art. How do I know? Because, I can make an honor flag and I am not an artist. I am a card-carrying-right-brained-chemist who has never taken an art class in her life.
All materials will be available at the BlogPaws 2017 Conference. Materials include fabric, markers, ribbon, lace, buttons, beads, needles with thread, stamp with stamp pads, glue, safety pins, and anything else I bring with me. However, if you would like to make them ahead of time, please email me at the address below.
The Strength of Love
One year the line of Honor Flags was brought onto the stage at a BlogPaws Conference. The entire room quieted and then softly exclaimed, “Oh.” The flags were positively vibrant each with their own voice in the chorus.
Who Am I?
I am very excited to be involved with this BlogPaws tradition. This began when a few Twitter anipals had significant things happen in our lives which included losing our beloved older cats. A friend sent me a string of Tibetan flags. I was intrigued with the symbolism as well as seeing article on adapting Prayer Flags. The two ideas coalesced into our Honor Flags. The anipals all made flags for their lost pets and somehow we all felt better. Yes, there were tears of loss and joy, but the simple act of honoring our pets, to join all our voices with others who have experienced loss, helped us heal. We brought the concept to BlogPaws, and the rest is history.
What Next?
I hope to meet many of you in person at the BlogPaws 2017 Conference. Let’s start to heal, to join others acknowledging our wonderful pets we have lost and help others to share our love. I hope this year we can have another “Oh” moment.
What Is the BlogPaws 2017 Conference?
The BlogPaws 2017 Conference takes place May 18-20 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. The conference is capped at approximately 500 attendees for a more intimate, personal experience, culminating with a Red Carpet event to celebrate the pet industry’s only pet blogging awards judged by a distinguished panel of professionals, not by popular vote. Limited tickets remain and are available here: BlogPaws 2017 Conference tickets.
About the Author, Wanda Kruse: I am a retired chemist living in Kirkwood, MO, a suburb of St. Louis. I was on the staff of the Anipal Times writing science and human interest articles. For several years, I was an erratic blogger writing in both my cat and my voices, krusekats.blogspot.com. My goal now is to write more consistently still in both voices, krusekats.wordpress.com. I am owned by cats; Maggie and Parker are purebred Maine Coons and my mischievous Ken is of suspect origins. My husband Art loves his rescue dog Dali. Totaled, we have 40 pounds of cat and 41 pounds of dog. We seem to be an egalitarian household although the dog likes to think she’s in charge. Ha Ha! Maggie with all her tortietude rules. Much of my time is spent working on the 67th National Square Dance Convention which will be in June 2018 (we are on the board). In between all that, I try to quilt and make greeting cards. There is one brag: I have three prize winning quilts, two of which are from a juried show. I promise to feature them in upcoming blogs. Questions? maggietkat@yahoo.com
