July 13, 2025
Written: March 21, 2026
This is one of my favorite collages. It’s the first one I made after my transplant last year.
I started the collage with the elephant. It came from a get-well card. The title came from the inscription inside the card.
“Gifting yourself flowers” doesn’t have to mean actual flowers.
(Although I do buy myself flowers once or twice a month.)
It can mean:
- getting a massage
- going for a walk
- joining a book club
- or even just practicing positive self-talk
For most of my life, I struggled with low self-esteem.
I would scold myself about my weight, and I can remember the “you’re fat” comments that were spoken all too often growing up.
After being given a second (& 3rd) chance at life, I made a decision.
I needed to be kinder to myself.
I needed to start flipping the narrative when those thoughts showed up.
I am happy to say that my negative self-talk has decreased dramatically.
I still have a long way to go.
But something has shifted.
It’s nice to be in a group of people and not be thinking:
- how awful I look
- how big I am
- whether everyone is noticing
That quiet in my mind…
that’s new.
About the piece
The elephant is spreading love and kindness.
Each of the three women represents something different:
- A performer
- A woman who dresses up and expresses herself
- A woman who may not be “dressed up,” but still took the time to belt her dress and wear a necklace
That matters.
Even on days when I feel blah,
if I clean up and put on real clothes,
my outlook improves.
Small acts can shift something bigger.
There’s another detail that feels important to me.
The dock the woman is standing on—and the boat in the water—is the canal in front of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. It is from a bag from the gift store there.
Anne Frank was hidden.
She was eventually taken to the camps.
And still—she wrote.
She did something for herself.
I often think about that.
She probably never imagined the impact her words would have.
Maybe this is part of that same idea.
Doing something for yourself—even when it feels small—can matter more than you realize.
GIFT YOURSELF FLOWERS. NEVER FORGET.
What is one way you take care of yourself?
Angie