What would it feel like to wear the essence of wildflowers growing on the graves of my ancestors?

In the summer of 2018, I visited my cousin Joan in Skibbereen, where my maternal grandfather’s family came from. In typical Irish fashion, Joan gave us a tour of the graveyards and generously lent us her time and knowledge. There I gathered wildflowers from the family plot, mass graves, and the stone fairy circles of Skibbereen. I had this idea that if I kept the flowers with me and possibly made a perfume of sorts to wear I could be closer to the family I never knew. Once we arrived Joan and her sister Judi treated us to a homemade cake and tea and then we set off into the foggy mist to visit the resting place of our family members. They lived on a beautiful road on a cliff by the sea, next to their brothers and nieces. It is now as I write this I realize the tea and cake we consumed that were so lovingly prepared for us, and the time Joan spent getting to know us while the sea fog hydrated our hair and skin was as profound of a connection as I could have asked for.

This project is an ongoing study of the recycling and reclamation of energy. Could this bring me closer to an understanding of an origin and purpose? Maybe it could answer questions, or quell anxiety, or do the opposite.

Joan was a wonderful guide and it was very special to see where part of me came from.