55. Heart stone

On the shores of Mannin Bay in Connemara, where the white sand meets the cropped green turf of the machair, I found a heart-shaped stone.

It reminded me of my friend Susan Gallagher who lived in Roundstone, the windowsills of her cottage decorated with her collection of heart-shaped stones. Susan was the Grandmother of Brigit's Garden. During the seven years it took to turn the idea into reality she helped me hold the vision. It was as if the project had a flow, an energy of its own, and our job was to align our actions with the flow. If we did so successfully, things worked; if we lost the flow, things didn't. It was Susan's guidance that helped the project stay on track - a  true anam cara, or soul friend.

I took the stone to the Garden and tried it out in different places; nestling up to marigolds in the Lughnasa herb garden; among the wishes in the hawthorn tree; at the foot of a standing stone.

It was a small, heart-felt tribute to Susan and the many other people whose warm-heartedness have made the Garden what it is today.