watching a fighter

I never thought a certain friend would ever
ever ever have to deal with cancer
she is just too strong
too positive
too vital
a kind of energetic spirit
I could go on and on
and when I visited her at her farm
there she was with her great smile
and fuzzy new chemo hairdo with a bandanna (sp?)
to deal with sweat not a way to mask
her sparse cute hair

she is sporting a new vitality
power
it is different than before
her face is lighter features-wise
I think when we lose our eyelashes and brows
or they lighten up some
also our skin has a kind of transluscent look
I see it sometimes in the faces I pass by
as we go down the halls and mazes of the cancer center

her creativity knows no bounds
and she has bounded back with a vengeance
that I marvel at

it is hard not to compare
and wonder why why about many things in myself

it would be best to gain inspiration
rather than judge myself...

I noticed she was wearing beautiful sparkly earrings
different than what I had ever seen her wear before
they are a gift from her daughter
who wanted her mom to have sparklers as a reflection
of her vast love and admiration
it was wonderful seeing them together
talking about the meaning they placed upon the gift

it was wonderful being on their farm
signing a box which is a gift for my son Brandon
(I placed my order for these before her diagnosis)
made from wood that came from an old Boone County barn
another part of the same barn that Bryan's box is made from
I have wanted this for years
boxes made by Carolyn Linton
from Boone County barn wood for my treasure-children
she is putting the finishing touches on
the coats of hand-rubbed wax from England I believe

her daughter was beside herself excited to hear
me say
that this move we are making has opened me up
to my desire to create "things" of art again
her daughter shared with me stories
of how we met and how small pieces of my artwork
from what feels like another lifetime ago
grace her life...

that was very moving to me
and I smiled to think of the artwork of my friends
that grace my life
a lovely turquoise handbag and fabric fortune cookies
tucked into a Chinese takeout box
so perfect and so loving
and my gratitude spills over