It's been a sad week for some of my blog friends. Mushy lost his high school friend, Danny, this week after a long battle with cancer. Moose lost his sweet mother just this morning. My sympathies, my dear friends ... I mean that sincerely.
It was only last night that I found our own sad news; a friend had left us as well. I have not replied to that e-mail yet but I will when I can find the needed words but first I must talk to her here.
She was given the name Vonda, a name which her mother told her was Tsalagi (Cherokee) for 'Child of the Morning'. And she was as bright and sparkling as a new sun rising with fresh, limitless possibilities. She befriended me when I signed up to do graphic art for the Main Street effort in an otherwise spiritless and cold village.
"Vonda, they laid you to that final rest today in a place so very far away from here. I was not by your side in the flesh but I was there anyway. The tears no longer easily fall from my eyes but they still rain within my heart, unseen but as ever sorrowful. I will miss you.
You were there to help before I could ever be shamed to ask in desperation. You gave your heart, time and most treasured belongings to anyone you met. And you were forever hurt in a half dozen decades by takers and users but never let it stop you from giving. I wish I had your relentless faith in mankind, I really do. But I somehow fear that you were finally used up like the precious commodity that you were, that your big heart could no longer bear you aloft in this world.
You befriended me despite my many eccentricities. You adopted us as family. You never hid me from your famous, fancier and richer friends - your love had no earthly boundaries.
I can count the number of people I have met, admired and learned to trust on less digits than my fingers and toes. You took a place on one counting digit and it will likely remain reserved for you. Farewell, friend (Do na da go hv i, U na li i) ... I will miss you deeply until we meet again."
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I stared out the window today, a lot. And I saw an eagle circling, unusual since they had not been by in quite a while. I grabbed the camera with the zoom lens and threw open the window. Just as I was able to focus in on this visitor, it disappeared from view. I lowered the camera and scanned the skies intently for any trace of it. It was simply gone. Perhaps moved on to some freer, more effortless realm of flight as my Vonda did.
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35 comments:
Lin, I'm so sorry for your loss of your friend. Today I attended "Pioneer Day" a big deal in Temple, TX, with free entertainment (as well as free waer and coffee) to celebrate life! The oldest lady was 101 and man 97. He came up that aisle quite briskly to pick up the gift and hers was delivered to her table. We had country music bands, individual singers, etc. What a fun day. Dancing, dancing and more dancing. I knitted for 6 straight hours on a baby blanket. I think it was filmed for U Tube and was sponsore by the Temple Daily Telegram. Some of you may want to check it out! Belle
Thank you , Belle, I really appreciate your kindness.
You knitted for six straight hours?!!! Migawd, Belle, weren't you worried about tunneling a carpal or something? Did they also hold a slingshot contest? With those kind of knitting wrist muscles, you would be supremely lethal at it!
There is no better homage than this, Lin.
Oh. I am so sorry to hear about everyone's losses...Lin and Mushy and Moose ... accept my sincere condolences everyone.
I have lost a parent, and it is so very hard to get through. I have never lost a close friend yet, though, and I can't imagine that feeling of loss could ever go away.
Lin ~ Vonda sounded like the most special kind of a friend. How blessed you were to have her in your life.
We know of course that the eagle you saw was a message for you ... Vonda is FREE ... like we will all be free one day.
i lost my father 6 weeks ago,and as i said to my blogging public, i have spent times on my dad ,gas milege, aliens, movie and book reviews in my blog and you have stood by me and my family, thick and thin...that is love...the eagle was great, i have a steller jay that come in to eat, but before he does, he comes to me to visit on my porch first..life is good
Thank you, David. I sure hope she heard it and smiled that teary /sappy smile of hers that I am going to miss terribly.
Thanks, Towanda, from all of us.
Losing a parent is really tough. Then losing the last one, as my crazy paramedic friend said at 65, suddenly makes you an orphan, too. That really is a strange realization to come to grips with.
And when you accept friends because they are fine and good people, you hate to lose them because there's just not a whole lot of ready replacements lined up out there.
I had to wonder about that eagle's message, too. They seem to do that out here.
putz, I can see why you like blogging so much. It really has been a great venue for me as well. Before blogging, I probably would have climbed the 300' up to the high ridge in this heat to talk with her so blogging probably saved me from having the big one yesterday.
A beautiful, beautiful post Lin, and fitting for a soul that was always free.
I hope you find comfort until you do meet up again.
You know, lin m, she always remained amazingly free despite the nightmarish life that was put before her from early childhood onwards. She was truly a remarkable creature of sheer strength to overcome it as well as she did.
I've noticed a most curious effect of losing such a friend in that the sorrow is salved increasingly the further along it occurs on the every-decreasing time line towards when we will meet up again. I suppose that sounds like absolute mad gibberish, doesn't it?
You did well Lin...may God help us in our attempt to continue on without those that have helped us get to where we are today.
Mushy, you nailed it right on the money - what would we be like now if we hadn't met such phenomenal souls along the way with big hearts and hands to influence us? And we were unusually blessed again with being able to recognize and remember them, so many don't.
You have my deepest sympathies, its always hard losing a friend, all you can do is remember them fondly.
I'm here from Authorblog.
A moving tribute to Vonda. Poignant post!
Very poignant Lin, such a tribute for your friend, one I'm sure she is smiling over now...David sent me, glad he did
A very warm, and touching tribute, Lin. If we were face-to-face, I think a hug would be most appropriate.
"...weep with those who weep." Rom. 12:15
Prayers be with you and the family of your lost friend...as we get older those losses continue to mount....and then someday soon we will meet them again.
Thanks, Alex. Her memory will certainly be kept alive by those who recognized her preciousness for what it truly was.
Thanks for dropping by, indica, it was VERY much appreciated.
Thanks, Sandi, I sure hope she got a deep smile from those very heart-deep thoughts as well.
I'm sorry for your loss, Lin, but grateful for the beautiful tribute to your friend Vonda. Beautiful, indeed.
Thanks.
My Craver, you know, I lost that innate signature bear hug of mine in that last place we lived but the thought is certainly most appealing right about now. Very inspired timing on your part and very much welcomed.
Pat, your kindly prayers are always much appreciated, and helpful. I figure that if the good ones die first, then we'll have plenty of folks to meet us by the time we arrive. And I really enjoy big reunions like that.
Buck, I know that Vonda loved having you sit in with us. As Red and Sally found out, any friend of mine was as good as family to Vonda and you two would have gotten along like old long lost friends.
I'm over from David's. There's nothing I can add to what's already been said. My sincere condolences and loadsa *hugs*. Moving tribute.
I'm so sorry for your loss, Lin.
I came over from David's. Sorry for the loss of your friend, Vonda. She will live on in your heart forever. As I look back over my own life, I realize that God had the right people come into my life at just the right time. Some of them have passed on, but I'll never forget the love and comfort they showed me. Good Post! I will visit you again.
Good to see you again, CrazyCath, and especially thanks for those hugs. Hugs go a long way sometimes.
Thank you so, Christina, I really appreciate your kind words and sentiments.
Thanks for coming by, Ancient One (gee, a few of my blog friends could relate to that name as well as myself).
Sounds like you have had your own share of blessings with special people along the way, too. And you didn't forget them either.
Very sorry about the loss of friends lately.
We are holding you, and Mushy and Moose in our arms, trying to comfort you all. We love you and feel your pain.
Thank you, Jenny ... from all of us. Hopefully our losses have come in threes and it will be a quiet and healing time now for everyone.
Thanks, Cat, you know so well that there's nothin' like a good kitty boom and curl up with massive purrs to let us know were still loved.
That was beautifully said sis. One of the things that's gonna really suck about bein' the baby, both in my extended family and here in the blog family, is gonna be watching eveyone else pass away in front of me. Not lookin' forward to that.
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