Meet Jackie

I want you all to know a very special person in my life. This is Jackie. She lives in Sacramento.

We met in a peculiar way. The Mixed Media Artists of Northern California group was struggling with memberships, so I went out and recruited some artists. One of the ways I used was to go on Ebay and look for those who altered art, or were doing mixed media, who were closest geographically. I emailed them and invited them to come to a meeting and perhaps become members.

Jackie had made something wonderful and I purchased it. I also asked her to come to a meeting and in fact hand deliver what I purchased. She did.

She had lost her (grown) son a couple years previous to this, and was still in deep mourning over his loss. But, in her quiet times at home she would create wonderful little pieces of art. They spoke to me immediately and I knew we had some connection. The meeting she came to was her first real outing alone since the loss of her son. It changed her life. She started opening up again. We were all taken by her quiet sense of humor, her sharp wit, the sparkle in her blue eyes, and how down to earth and thoughtful she is. Jackie brought a freshness to everything she did. I can't tell you what it is about her art, but it is recognizable as hers. She is a true person. True to her family and art - and friends.

We became good friends, bosom buddies in fact. She is my soul sister. We connect on many levels. It has been a pleasure learning from her, and sharing thoughts and feelings through our daily or twice a day or more emails flying back and forth in cyberspace. We only saw each other once a month or so in person and seldom speak on the phone. But we send photos of our family, dogs, gardens, art, etc. all the time. She doesn't go on our outings or play days. She is a homebody. One of the most contented people I have ever met. She loves her life. She and her hubby have been together since high school. True love. They share a love of reading, gardening, fussing about the house, and their family.

Yesterday I got the bad news I had sort of expected but didn't want to acknowledge, that she only has a few weeks left to live. She has been putting up a brave battle against cancer, but it was found too late to cure or even control.

When I talked to her yesterday she sounded so weak. Last week I was surprised how energetic and lively she sounded, despite the fact she told me she was so weak. Now, on meds, her speech is a bit fuzzy and she is a bit groggy. But, the sense of humor is just as lively as ever and her spirit is still strong.

I'm going to share a few things in the next few days or weeks about Jackie. I'll show you some of her art. I'll introduce you to her dogs. I'll talk about her garden. I'll take you on a morning walk with her. I'll let you see some things she shared with me through her eyes. It will be my way of letting her go. With tears and profound sadness.

BTW, this is therapy for me.