#penelopeniven

Happy #internationalwomensday to all the inspiring, extraordinary women in my life, first and foremost my mom and her all-encompassing, unconditional love. She taught me to dream big and never limit myself or my imagination. Because of her I’m able to write female characters who inspire me, and infuse them with heart, humor, strength, and resilience. Here’s to Ada Blackjack, Velva Jean Hart, Violet Markey, Libby Strout, and Claude Henry. Mom may not be here to know all of them, but they wouldn’t exist without her. ❤️ #womenempowerment #womensupportingwomen #girlpower #inspiringwomen #mymomwasasuperhero #penelopeniven #strongwomen #femaleempowerment #girlsrule https://www.instagram.com/p/B9e-HJMpiO0/?igshid=f15lsbl3wmcd

She was my best. Happy Mother’s Day to the most wonderful, brilliant, joyful, funny, wise, beautiful mama who brought me up on unconditional love and taught me that I was limitless, just like her love. I love you more than words. Always. ❤️ #mothersday #happymothersday #penelopeniven #shewasmybest #imissmymom #mothersanddaughters #love #shemadeitlovely https://www.instagram.com/p/BxX6nNZpOG2/?igshid=1sqsh3xm6pwto

“I never knew any more beautiful than you.... I shall never find any greater than you.” - Carl Sandburg 💫💐Four years ago today I lost my most important person. It was completely unexpected and out of the blue. In August 2014, I was supposed to sail to the Arctic, but I canceled my trip at the last minute because something told me not to go. Instead I went to visit my mom in NC for two weeks, and it was wonderful and magical and perfect in every way. Five days later, she was gone.💔 Dear lovelies: Embrace this life and the people you love. Wander the world. Make it lovely. Leave something behind. 🌷✨❤️ #allthebrightplaces #wandertheworld #makeitlovely #leavesomethingbehind #penelopeniven #imissmymom #love #motherdaughter #shewasmybest

When you are going through your mother’s unpublished poems and short stories on her birthday and you find this. 😢💔❤️ Words can be such a gift. Today on this future day of loss, I take out the memory of her from the heartstore and wrap myself inside it. ✨❤️ #poem #poetry #motherdaughter #penelopeniven #happybirthdaymom #imissmymom #allthebrightplaces

Pens! Notebooks! Im ready to write today! 📝 I had this pen holder made for my mom of the two of us (with a quote from Thornton Wilder, subject of her last book). It used to sit on her desk and now it sits on mine. I love to look up from my work and see it there and think of her. ❤️❤️ #writinglife #writingdesk #myoffice #amwriting #penholder #penelopeniven #thorntonwilder #imissmymom

Happy Birthday to my extraordinary mom, who was the brightest light and love and joy personified. She made everyone and everything lovely. To quote one of her poems, she was always the shining times, and today—like every day—“I take out from the heartstore the memory of you...” (Her full poem is in my story.) ✨💫💖 #shewasmybest #mybrightestplace #motherdaughter #penelopeniven #imissmymom #happybirthdaymom #ilovemymom #shewrotemepoems #shewasapoem #unconditionallove #shemademelovely https://www.instagram.com/p/B-28xc3pGcX/?igshid=1vmdxzfu17p7d

“I never knew any more beautiful than you.... I shall never find any greater than you.” - Carl Sandburg 💫💐Five years ago today I lost my most important person. It was completely unexpected and out of the blue. In August 2014, I was supposed to sail to the Arctic, but I canceled my trip at the last minute because something told me not to go. Instead I went to visit my mom in NC for two weeks, and it was wonderful and magical and perfect in every way. Five days later, she was gone.💔 Dear lovelies: Embrace this life and the people you love. Wander the world. Make it lovely. Leave something behind. 🌷✨❤️ #allthebrightplaces #wandertheworld #makeitlovely #leavesomethingbehind #penelopeniven #carlsandburg #imissmymom #love #unconditionallove #motherdaughter #bestfriends #shewasmybest https://www.instagram.com/p/B1tljVupKQG/?igshid=1blhak63ztad3

The Penelope Niven Memorial Garden @bookmarksnc in honor of my mom. 😢🌷💐 There aren’t words to express what this beautiful tribute means to me, especially on this particular trip when I’m closing out her house and sorting through years and years of memories. 😭💔 Dear Bookmarks, dear family, and dear friends: You brought me spring. 🌸🌺 #allthebrightplaces #penelopeniven #memories #memorial #bookmarks #winstonsalem #bookstore #imissmymom (at Bookmarks)