Muriel

Some recent projects. More on these in next posts.

Carol and I have been away from TwoLuLa for quite some time now. The fun of blogging disappeared as we dealt with some expected and one very unexpected turn in the road.

Expected was/is my Dad's continued battle with Alzheimer's. I can't even rightly call it a battle because this is a disease which takes away one's ability to comprehend and fight. I will write more about my Dad on another post.

Totally unexpected was the death of Carol's mother Muriel. If you haven't read it yet, please read the post before this one. Carol, very eloquently, shared her feelings about losing her mom and the long path of healing she is now on.

This is Muriel. It is a self portrait. Carol and I have a group of friends who get together to celebrate one another's birthdays, among other things. We each selected something special to do for our fortieth birthdays (yikes! That was a decade ago!) When my turn came I invited the gang over, gave each one a small canvas and asked them to paint a self portrait. I kept the collection of portraits (adding to it self portraits from my husband, children and dad) and made color copies of the complete set for each person. Take a look at our "About TwoLuLa" on the sidebar - those are the portraits Carol and I made (can you figure out who's who?).

I remember being sooo impressed with Muriel's painting! I knew of her talents in sewing and crochet, but I had no idea she was such a talented painter. Muriel was not just Carol's mother, but a cherished member of this group of friends. Muriel was one of the gentlest souls I have ever known. Gentle and kind, a great listener, but also absolutely straight forward with telling you what you needed to hear  (traits, my dear friend Carol, you have inherited from her) Her family meant the world to her and she was an integral part of each of their lives (husband, three daughters and five grandchildren) everyday. Everyday. I count myself as blessed that my family and I were among her adopted extended family.

Muriel's passing has left a great void in so many lives. It is difficult to watch as her family struggles with their grief. As I spend time with each of them I notice slight gestures or fleeting facial expressions, a spoken phrase or an intonation that is Muriel. It is so absolutely clear to me! I wonder if they recognize it in themselves and in each other. I wonder if it is as clear to them as it is to me that Muriel is still here with us through them.  At these times, I can't help but smile to myself and say "Hi Muriel. I'm so glad you visited me today. See you again soon."

Peace,

Cynthia