GREAT FRIENDS

How would you like to be remembered by those who knew you? I asked myself that question with the news that a special friend passed away this week. She was part of a long-time threesome. We visited museums, went to plays, wrote memoirs, and played the game Quirkle on the picnic table in her backyard. We ate lunch together at local restaurants sometimes accompanied by other writer friends, spent time in each other's gardens, and painted and played with art materials. We laughed a lot and shared stories of our families. She was always game for an adventure even when her world had been reduced by physical limitations. The reaction from other people to the news of her passing showed that her kind outreach to others affected everyone she knew. She will be one of those who will be sorely missed, unlike others who leave a messy stamp on the lives of those who knew them.

I've read of the idea that we die twice. Once when our bodies let go, and the second time when no one keeps us in their memories. I think back on my parents, grandparents other relatives, and friends who died too early. I still hold their memories, most of the time with affection, sometimes with regret for not being a bigger part of their lives. Joan lived a long life filled with family and with strong connections to people in her community. She was part of a church group that made quilts every year to give to people in need. As a writer, she told stories about everyday incidents that had universal meanings. Joan was a mentor to me and showed me often how to be a better friend through her kindness, her attention to other people's needs, her sense of adventure, and her willingness to share life lessons. She is well-loved and will be remembered for a long time. 

In the past few months, I've taken a couple of Zoom calligraphy classes through Friends of Calligraphy, one of the Bay Area guilds. Risa Gettler taught a class in Visigothic Versals based on an alphabet used in Spain during the Middle Ages. Because of our move, I was only able to participate for a couple of sessions but came away with the technique of placing a large, decorated letter at the beginning of a paragraph. I'm now taking a class with Jurgen Vercaemst (based in Belgium) which he calls Colorful Lettering Compositions, using a casual version of the Roman alphabet. Though I haven't had the time to thoroughly engage in either class as much as I would like to, I have come away with some new ideas. I've used those to design a piece that is still in the draft stage to honor my friend.

A lament on the loss of letter-writing  
First draft for Spanish Visigothic Versals

First Rough Draft
capital too far away from other letters

Which capital letter to use?

Second Rough Draft
Ready to be inked and colored?

*************

"The time is always right to do what is right."  Martin Luther King, Jr.