Drawing is taking a line for a walk –Paul Klee
Distractions preoccupied me this month – one somber, one delightful – you’ll soon read about them. Here goes, starting with the somber one : we Bostonians lost a dear friend and prolific artist, Lucette White. Totally unexpected. She was 82, full of life and vigor right up to the end when, after a brief illness, an infection took her. We’re all still in shock.
Loss of someone becomes a wake-up call for us to embrace our friends and family, make time for them, listen to them. Promise you’ll never, ever send a sympathy card! Family members long for something personal and warm and alive. Instead, write a heartfelt letter – handwritten is best even in your scraggily script – that celebrates your relationship with that person. I learned this when I lost my Dad in 2001. My Mother and I yearned for people’s memories of him, how they were touched by him. Our favorite was an hilarious comment from his best friend, and fellow P-47 fighter pilot, Smitty, and I quote, We’re still the best goddam fighter pilots in the Air Force. How that made us roar, for years!
The biggest news of the month is that I became engaged to the most wonderful and amazing man! Now it’s fun to share it with everyone, as I sign off with the happiest of distractions for April 2014.
Thank you Linda for recognizing the embracing and lovely spirit of Lucette White. Yes, she will be missed.
Thank you also for bringing together these inspirational thoughts that allow me to reflect on my own artistic efforts. My beautiful granddaughter threw away a drawing she was trying to make at class at the MFA on Sunday. She was embarrassed and upset. I wish I had seen your blog to have shared with her that, “drawing is only taking a line for a walk!”
I loved your post.Thanks Again. Really Great.