The heat: It is draining me.
Yesterday, we found out we lost a friend, who died unexpectedly. Not long after we moved to Houston, we had the good luck to meet a group of terrific people who I worked with at the bookstore. Through them, we met Don. During many of our early years of friendship, he was finishing his doctoral work and writing his dissertation, and his acknowledgments when it was published included Tom and me in that little group who Don had dubbed “the Disgruntled Liberals Club.” Don and the other “club” members were part of my support system when I lost friends to AIDS, and they were among the most enthusiastic of our friends when the Tims, Jim, and I began publishing books. It’s hard to believe that when we get together in the future, Don’s big laugh and many stories won’t be heard around the table. I feel this acutely for his best friend Robin, maybe a little more today because it’s the eighteenth anniversary of Steve R’s death, which just doesn’t seem possible. Clichéd though it may sound, time does heal, but it doesn’t ever diminish the magic and memories of a profound friendship. I’m thankful for all the ones I’ve known and still celebrate.
The heat, the mood–they both made me grateful when Tim suggested we catch a matinee of Sex and the City 2. Considering the less than stellar reviews, I figured it would at least be a diversion. Instead, I loved the movie! I thought it was better than the first one, and I was more than happy to land in Carrie Bradshaw’s well-shod world once again.
Whatever, critics.
Today, I also finished the thank-you card I was working on, submitted a sketch to Lindsey’s Bravo challenge site–where I was quite impressed by the other submissions!–and began another 4×6-inch canvas to eventually add to my One Word Art site.
“Pledge”
For 30 Days of Creativity.