Thats my cover of my Birthday Card the kids at the Playroom at the Hospital made for me.
Its made up of cardboard folded in half - a red chart paper on top; golden cellotape at the sides and papers cut outs. Inside, all the kids being treated at the Paediatric Ward have signed for me.
What I want to bring to notice however, is not only the thought that they put in to make this card for me, but also the use of materials to make this card.
They are all reused materials.
Apart from the cardboard, chart paper and marble paper, the most interesting reused element in the card are the colourful caps.
The green round caps making the tree, the blue, black, yellow and white caps making the other components of the landscape are actually reused caps from the Chemotherapy glass bottles.
Instead of throwing away these caps from the bottles, the kids at the Playroom reuse them to make cards and other works of art. These bottle caps, which are ironically so colorful, help to brighten up their artworks and bring a smile on the receiver's face. Its a wonderful method of letting go of the reminder of pain and using it for beautification purposes.
I was overwhelmed when I was handed over this card.
It was a sharp reminder of my days at the Hospital when I used to notice the nurses opening these similar looking bottle caps and also a sense of relief to have overcome that and be presented with the bottle caps in a manner such as on the card.
For me, these caps are simply a metaphor for situations in life.
Either we cringe in fear or we make the best of all situations.
Life is what we make of it.
