Hibiscus Memorial Painting
Back in October I learned about the unexpected passing of my friend Eva. I want to share a bit about our relationship and our connection while giving her the utmost respect.
I chose to paint a hibiscus in her memory because they remind me of her and of a time we went for a walk in the woods, picked flowers, and I took the above picture. That day was so peaceful. Almost all of the time we shared was peaceful. Those were easily the healthiest days of my Life.
In the past couple months, even though they’re out of season, hibiscus has been showing up everywhere. I drank them in a tea last night and am constantly seeing images of them.
In 2020 I moved into a home with 7 other people out in Pennsylvania, including her. I remember sitting in the kitchen with everybody on day one and introducing them all to my rabbit who would free roam the house. She was very curious about him and sweet towards him.
The place we lived can be described as many things and I’m never quite sure how exactly to succinctly word all that it was and is. It is an intentional community. It is a relatively self-sufficient farming village. Approximately half of the folks are disabled adults and the other half fall into the role of short or longterm volunteers. It’s a place to share Life. It’s a place that gives Life.
Eva and I really related over being avid journalers and would share our writings with each other at times. She taught me to be a better listener and she taught me a deeper definition of honesty. Her transparency was very refreshing. A lot of my memories now are just the little things- washing dishes together, sitting side by side on the couch, sharing meals, saying prayers, taking walks.
In September our household took a roadtrip to Maryland for a weekend stay in an AirBnB. We also got the chance to stop off in Delaware and do a bit of hiking. It was a lovely time.
Here’s some shells we found while exploring the Chesapeake Bay.
We took our findings back to the rental and she painted them on the front porch while I painted a cosmic image. We learned about making spore prints that day. That night we sat around the fire and cooked s’mores and listened to KiKi play the ukulele.
Here’s the finished hibiscus painting, made in her memory.
I will always be so grateful for the time we shared.
