of love & loss 09/29/00

This is a happy weekend.  I do believe, if my calculations are right, that it is Donna Heldon's wedding day as this posting is posted, it being afternoon in Australia. 

       

Donna was just a tadger when I first clapped eyes on her 25 years ago, on my first trip Down Under.  I do not know what is more shocking - that she is old enough to be getting married or that it has been 25 years since my first visit to the Hurstville society.  Lots of loving thoughts and best wishes to the happy couple from a loving Grandma L'.

More Southern Hemisphere happiness - a dear-to-my-heart friend from Brazil just announced her engagement to a Bryn Athyn lad, which delights me for several reasons. 

I am happy for Claudia.  I remember the first time I met her and asked how to pronounce her name - it is CLOUD-YA.  If you know Claudia, you understand when I say that I connected to her instantly. One short talk and she was in my heart.  

 Kelly-Carolyn-Natalya-Claudia were a special circle of young women in my life.   Having their friendship in my life is a special grace. 

Adam is a lucky man and I thank him for keeping such a special woman stateside.

My thoughts turn to another Claudia - Claudia Cranch Gladish and to her sisters and family.  I am still getting used to the thought that their sister, Nora, is gone.  It does not seem possible.  It was just a blink of an eye ago that she was packing up and heading off to the West Coast.  I am grateful for Galadriel’s wedding, which brought me back into contact with Nora, and for our women's discussion list, to which she belonged. 

A friend who attended memorial celebration shared her impressions.  It was held in the beautiful Wayfarer's Chapel - the reading from the Gospel of John about the Samaritan woman at the well, the soaring piano piece, a recording of Louis Armstrong singing "What a Wonderful World" and closing with the “Laughter” song from Mary Poppins.  As the woman who shared it said,  it was a "celebration of a wonderful woman's short life on earth, beautiful, touching and inspiring." 

I head up the wooden hill with a sense of joy and sadness and joy  - Grammie Kay