life is fragile revisited thoughts about our connections with each other

I wrote a blog entry a couple of weeks ago called Life is fragile.  It was about my friend who had  stomach cancer being in hospice.  Julie died last Friday evening. I cried. Such a loss of a gentle spirit and a stunning talent.  Her husband made the announcement on Facebook and I was surprised to read  all the comments from people all over the world who loved Julie and her work.  It made me realize how we impact one another on a global scale now with the internet and social media.  I wonder if Julie would have been surprised to see how many people took the time to write something beautiful and comforting to her family.  I wonder if she would be surprised to see how deeply her presence and her work affected people she only knew through her Etsy shop or the internet.

Then I began to wonder how many people know about me and my work.  Does my work leave a lasting impact on other people’s lives?  I know that my work as a psychotherapist has impacted many people and I hope for the good.  But does my artistic work also leave a footprint in the life of others?  I suppose that seeing one of my photographs in my Etsy shop or on Facebook or ImageImageFickr sends a fleeting impression to the viewer’s mind about some remembered moment in their lives.  And that is probably enough, to offer that moment of pleasure, wonder or reminiscence to a person that I know or that I have never met.  We all seem to be influencing each other all the time with our shared experiences and images in this time of instant communication.   The world is changing and becoming more inclusive.  The stunning amount of comments about Julie on the internet is a concrete example of how we are all changing and becoming more connected in ways that I could not have imagined even 15 year ago.

how fragile is life

Today I found out that one of my artist friends who is about my age who was dx with cancer 8 months ago is in hospice.

Image  She is a bright and energetic artist and I have always have admired her  work.  She kept us informed about her progress.  She went to the best cancer specialist in the country and had several rounds of chemo.  At first it was shrinking the tumors.  I was quite hopeful for her.  After all she was not old and she led a healthy life.  Today I read that she is in hospice.

My stomach sank and I started to feel sick.  How could this be?  I still feel sick.  I am sorry that her life will be cut short.  I am made aware again of how life can turn in a moment or a few months.  It pulls me up to be aware that there are no guarantees, that you must live each moment fully.  I hope I can hold this in my mind when my busy world swirls around me,  And I hope that my friend will make a safe and peaceful transition.

Happy dance; Catherine from ShadowDogDesigns has featured my photograph of Zebra butts on her blog

zebrabuts closeupNetI am very grateful for the support.  http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/blog_post/ShadowDogDesigns/15392/fabulous_friday_finds_on_artfire_20  Plese look at her artfire studio;    http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/ShadowDogDesigns