Patterns

This is a book about extraordinary experiences in an ordinary life—a life full of doubt but also brimming with hope. 

In this collection of midlife memories, the author travels from Texas to the Hudson River Valley, to the Navajo Nation, and finally, to the Rocky Mountains in search of answers to life's big questions. Along the way, she encounters angels, creates sacred art, participates in hidden rituals, faces disappointment, shame, and unexpected transformation.

Through both writing and visual art, Gaydos draws on decades of interdisciplinary scholarship in psychology, mythology, nursing, and creative work to find deep meaning in the open spaces of memory. Traveling with the author through inner and outer landscapes, readers are compelled to reconsider their own memories of extraordinary happenings. Those with a sense of the Infinite who have sought faith without doubt will be inspired by this spiritual memoir of grace and gratitude.

Honey Lea Gaydos is a writer, visual artist, and professional nurse specializing in mental health. Combining all these interests, she developed an innovative research approach using visual art to explore self-defining memories, earning a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies. In her career as a professor of nursing, she promoted the use of the arts in health care environments and advocated a holistic approach to care. Her emotionally evocative artwork has been sold for many years through galleries and exhibitions. Her writing includes scholarly publications, essays and poetry, and a spiritual memoir, Patterns: The Mystical Journey of an Ordinary Life. Now retired from academia, she continues to pursue interdisciplinary study of the intersections among psychology, mythology, spirituality, creativity, and the history and philosophy of science. She lives in Manitou Springs, Colorado, where she writes and makes art in her High Country Studio. Website: www.hlgaydos.com