GUEST POST ~ A FEELING OF COMPLETE AND UTTER LOVE ~ BY ND JADE
"The Lady in Red is dancing with me, cheek to cheek. There’s nobody here, it’s just you and me.” Chris de Burgh’s famous song is playing in the sunlit black and white tuxedo kitchen overlooking the twelve foot decorated Christmas tree. Except, it’s just me, wearing an alluring Malene Birger long wool jester red coat, matching sweater and silky slacks. It is me, attempting to [slow down and breathe deeply] while doing ALL the crucial things before the kids are home from school to celebrate the holiday. I sing along: “And I have never had such a feeling, a feeling of complete and utter love.” The Lady in Red is me for a brief moment, embodied and swaddled in beauty, feeling wrapped in love as I compartmentalize the sheer [Hell] of the past two years.
As I become more and more, “dismembered,” losing layers of myself that were never really me, the red coat is a slice of bliss from my favorite little boutique discovered years ago on a business trip – the same boutique that invited me to Paris Fashion Week. My stylist Jack said, “That red coat has side slits and is exactly what you need!” Admittedly, I was searching for a Je na sais quoi statement piece that I loved, reflecting back to me the way that I longed to feel inside. The elegant red wool coat feels so, “alive,” comprised of red woolen threads representing hope, love, faith, riches and rebirth – qualities I envision The Lady in Red weaves into the patchwork quilt of her life the same way the red threads were woven into the coat.
Pantone 19-1862TCX is the perfectly pigmented jester red, representing love, blood, life force, passion and power. One of my first bosses in Washington D.C. taught me to always wear red when presenting to hold the audiences attention. Admittedly, I had not worn the color red for the past few years. I was not in the mood! First of all, fuchsia is my go to color! Second, being knocked down and off my game had that effect on me. Yet, I crave to feel “alive” as I dance my way to light a candle, say a silent prayer and unravel red thread from a tangled skein of yarn. I had only recently realized the significance of the red thread that I had picked up from a local store in the most unexpected place with a lovely long-time girlfriend years earlier.
The thought entered my mind: “I am a lady in red, with red thread.” Then I became intrigued with the various meanings of red thread, how to find them and weave them into modern-day life. According to various ancient legends, gods, and an old man under the moon, an “invisible” red thread connects people who are destined to meet, regardless of space and time. When worn as a bracelet, it is believed one’s intentions have been fulfilled when the red thread breaks. In Sweden, red thread is a metaphor that, “pulls everything together.” Red signifies Mary Magdalene and her sacred devotion of anointing love. Not to mention, I had my own magical experience with Ariadne’s {red} thread and the labyrinth (that’s another magical story for another day). Marcus Buckingham classifies red threads as, “the tiny elements that bring joy,” and weaving more of the red thread into the quilt of one’s life. Last, red has been the color of witchcraft representing luck, magic and protection for centuries.
I resonate with everything red thread signifies and the energy it carries: hope, love, faith, riches and rebirth. Moreover, the red thread serves as a gentle reminder to honor my relationships and value the idea that people come into our lives for a reason. Standing with my feet firmly planted on the hickory wood floor in the light-filled tuxedo kitchen, dressed in red from head to toe, I am ready for the children to be home for Christmas. I blow out the candle, smiling in gratitude, for I have never had such a feeling, a feeling of complete and utter love.
BIO
Known for her visionary “love leadership” approach, ND Jade is an alchemist. She is a global leader and strategist working with hundreds of Fortune and small to midsize companies around the world. ND Jade holds a Bachelor of the Arts degree from Iowa State University and is pursuing her Masters of Business Administration. ND Jade executes love leadership strategies for healing, embodying love, feeling alive and creating bright futures, amid a chaotic, modern world. She is passionately in love with her sacred children, affectionate pets, a divine God of Love, loving friends and family, remembering who she is and reclaiming her life’s purpose {to embody the ancient high priestess}. And, she is passionately in love with dreaming, being in love (starting with herself) and inspiring butterfly effects as she bravely answers the call from deep within to, “return home.”