In loving memory...

I just learned this morning that my dear friend Lynnette, who had been my children's teacher when we lived on Shaw Island, finally succumbed to her liver cancer last week.

I'm very glad I had a chance to visit with her before she left us, and to see her radiant spirit one last time. But I confess I'm devastated. How odd we humans are, that even knowing death is inevitable, even seeing it in a face, we are so shocked when it arrives to carry off those we love.

I had intended to write today about the difference between disillusionment and disenchantment (a fascinating study I discovered in Transitions), or perhaps about faithfulness, which is this week's prompt at the one word at a time blog carnival; or maybe even both.

But instead I think I'll just stop here and allow myself to grieve... perhaps this is why I found myself writing two extra blogposts yesterday, so I could be free this morning just to feel. Perhaps these will be my subjects tomorrow; who knows. Til then, I leave you with the image that surfaced this morning -- from my junkyard visit last week. I suspect it's here to remind me that beauty can still be found when usefulness is gone and disintegration begins.

She was an amazing woman, and I loved her dearly, both for our friendship and for the incredible gift of learning she gave my children; my heart goes out to her husband, whose faithful care of her these last couple of years has been a truly beautiful thing to see.