Symbolic Connections; Shared Reflections

Launched August 2014

Symbolic Connections; Shared Reflections uses handmade mugs to symbolically connect people and a blog as a tool to share reflections. Food, and the vessels eaten from, evokes memories of people, events, and traditions. By giving one mug away and keeping the other, the objects act as a symbolic connection. When the owners drink from their respective mugs it will remind them of each other. Whether physically present or alive in the heart, there is nothing more intimate than sharing a meal or sipping tea together.

To participate, visit Lauren's Etsy shop or contact Lauren for custom designs.

Gaby, Ximena, Lashmi, Eli, and Lauren's Story

Eli was born in Guatemala and was raised by a foster family while her legal paperwork took place. During this time she lived with her foster sisters Lashmi and Ximena. She was adopted by a wonderful family from Madison, Wisconsin where Lauren grew up. Lauren moved to Guatemala to teach, but met Eli's dad on trip home to Wisconsin for Christmas. Lauren became friends with both families, carrying gifts between them each time she went home. Gaby became Lauren's friend at school . . . and we all became a Guatemalan family. Now living between Guatemala, Wisconsin, and New Mexico our mugs, inspired by Guatemalan textiles, are our symbolic connection. See our Shared Reflection blog.

Testimonials

"The cups remind me of the true meaning of life: love, friends, family, nature, simplicity, creativity, imagination, freedom and diversity. They make me think of a friend's (Lauren) effort to keep a friendship going strong despite we don't get to be together physically. They remind me life is still worth living and believing for, because there's people who care about me and love me. It is a way of staying connected and grounded. They make me want to be a better person, and have an inexpiable kind of energy that remind me that it was God, in his greatness, who brought us together. Lauren's cups are like no other cups, you can feel the love and passion that she puts into making them, drinking from them leaves you at peace, and they connect me to my true self." -Gaby