As we say good bye to Jim Gardner, I wanted to share this poem with my dear friend Michelle. I’ve altered it slightly (changing she/her to he/him). Sending you so much love and support, Dear Meesh, as you navigate this difficult time. I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side, spreads his… Continue reading The Ship
Category: grief
My Mom Sang Like an Angel
My Mom, Genevieve Crovo Gelles (aka Ginny Owens) had the most beautiful voice. She began her singing career as a child, and took private lessons from Madge Fairfax. Soon she had to make the decision between opera or Broadway. She choose Broadway. You see, the Hammerstein’s (Dorothy and Richard) recognized Mom’s talent and asked her to come audition In New York.
Hope & Healing: Please consider becoming an Organ Donor and Signing up to Donate Bone Marrow
A friend of a friend is dealing with a life threatening situation with her 10 year old son. On spring break, while on a cruise, the child, Justin, become very ill. A helicopter came to get him and fly him to a hospital where it was discovered he has acute leukemia. I cannot even imagine… Continue reading Hope & Healing: Please consider becoming an Organ Donor and Signing up to Donate Bone Marrow
Strength Courage Hope
On Sunday, October 18, 2009, I was drawn to the site of the WTC. My hotel was just a few blocks away and I felt it was important to visit the site and honor all the people who died that tragic day.
It was a somber experience. The site was so much larger than I had imagined. I felt grief, loss and emptiness. I’m not sure what I was searching for, but I just knew I hadn’t found it yet…so I kept walking…one more block….one more block.
And then I came to St. Paul’s Chapel and I knew I had found what my heart and soul were seeking. As I walked through the gate, I experienced the feeling of quiet strength, courage and hope in the midst of the greatest loss.
There she goes…here she comes
A close friend and colleague has been told that their loved one has only hours to live. As I offer comfort, I’m reminded of when my grandmother died and I could not be there to say good-bye.
In tears, I remember writing a love note to my grandma and faxing it to the nurses station in Massachusetts, so that the nurses could read it to her.
Tonight, I recalled this poem that Meg recently shared with me. I hope some day it can bring you comfort.
The John Slatin Fund Accessibility Project
Live your life with courage and though you are often afraid, never fail to take that next step forward.
As many of you know, John Slatin passed away last week, and in celebration of how his life has touched so many of us in the accessibility arena a project is being launched that will both honor his memory and assist his family with significant expenses that remain from his long illness. There is a new project designed to help.
The basic idea is this:
Stop all the clocks
My dear friend, John Slatin, will soon pass from this earth. The selfish part of me wants to stop all the clocks right now, so I can race down to Houston and hold his hand one more time. But the wiser part of me, weeps, and knows that my life has been forever changed by knowing this dear, sweet, brilliant man.
How blessed I am to be his colleague and friend. I love you, John Slatin and I won’t let you down. I will continue to be the self-appointed goddess of accessibility for as long as I am on this planet.
Time to go and cry and listen to my Wicked CD cranked all the way up:
My Godfather
Dear Don,
I know you are in a better place and it would be selfish of me to wish you were still here. But I do hope you understand how much you and Vi mean to me.
When I close my eyes to think of you, I hear your genuine contagious laugh and wish with all my heart that I could hear it one more time.
As a child, one of my most poignant memories was when you took me for a spin in your bright yellow dune buggy.