bluelakelady

My Friend

Somewhere in the cosmos my friend soars. Without the confines of her human body she swirls and flows. Her energy released. I see her face in the stars above. I hear her voice on the breeze. I see her radiance in the suns light. My friend is free. I am joyous for her.
Never have I met a woman to compare with my friend. Such strength she has. So caring of others, that while she sat in the hospital with drugs flowing into her veins, she spent her time making crafts to gift to the people who were so special to her. I have a few of those gifts. How precious they are to me.
My friend once gave me a funny little star. It was a washcloth all folded up so tiny. She had two so she gave me one. I went home knowing in my heart that I would not open the tiny star until my friend had herself become a star. I opened it the day after she left her body. On the washcloth is a dancing elephant, one of my favorite fellow creatures. What a joy it is to wash each day with a funny little gift from my friend.
On my kitchen window sill a flower pot resides with a spider plant growing inside. My friend painted this during her virgin ***age with chemo. My friend painted stars and moons and comets all over it. The pot is deep blue and the heavenly bodies are yellow.
When my friend found out she had cancer she set about living her life to the fullest and gifted her experience over to the medical world as a human test subject. She went off on magical ***ages. In ships, planes and cars she puddle jumped her world. She visited places leaving the seed of her wonderment to grow tall and green. How many lives did she touch along the way? Countless. I have no doubt they walked away laughing. That's what she did best. She laughed. Ultimately she laughed in the face of fear and death. She chose her moment and she left.
It has taken me most of fifty years to find the one person whose bravery, generosity, and joy for life I most want to emulate. Her name is Pat Brainerd and she is one hell of a woman!
Thank you Pat for sharing the very private lessons you learned on your journey with cancer. Life altering it was. Your energy will continue to delight me for the rest of my life. I have my memories . . .

Peace,

Bluelakelady
Tuesday, December 14, 2004