Love for Orlando

Tragedies are all too common these days. Another day, another shooting…another bombing…another attack…another natural disaster. We can almost become numb to the loss of life and destruction, especially when it’s not in our neighborhood. But some tragedies, even ones across the country, can hit really close to home.

Such was the case with the shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. When this gay nightclub was targeted and attacked, 49 innocent lives were taken and countless more were forever changed. I don’t personally know anyone who lives in Orlando, but this event struck me especially hard because it could have been me dancing that night. Or it could have been my girlfriend and me holding hands on the street in front of someone who would see us and be so full of hate that he would enter a nightclub and spread that hate in the form of bullets.

There are no words to describe the devastation those who lost loved ones must feel to know their lives were taken so senselessly.

And yet! After the dark storm passes, out comes the proverbial rainbow. Those of us still here can keep loving, living, being ourselves, fighting for change and moving forward.

In the aftermath of such a loss, one thing that helps restore my faith in humanity is the amount of support and love that pours out from complete strangers who want to help people they’ve never met. 

Here at Swoon, we want to help too. For the month of July, we’ll be donating 50% of all sales of our Rainbow Life Circle Necklace to Equality Florida to directly support the families of those killed and injured in Orlando. The Life Circle Necklace is one of our favorite, most personal designs. Each Life Circle is made completely by hand ensuring each one is unique. They’re hammered because life has bumps, and wrapped with precious stones to represent the beauty along the way. Finally, they hang on a double cable chain and spin and move because life is ever changing. 

This special version is wrapped with rainbow sapphires (and a purple amethyst) to show support for members of the LGBT community, to remind ourselves of the good that can come after a tragedy, and to affirm that love is love and we should all strive to spread love, not hate.

For a beautiful tribute more eloquent than I could ever be, I urge you to check out poet Azure Antoinette’s video about Pulse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAljsbBjKfc

Read more about the Pulse Victims Fund here: https://www.gofundme.com/PulseVictimsFund