When my daughter was in elementary and middle school, I would arrive to pick her up, often early in part so I could get a quick escape parking spot. As I waited in my car, I would often pull out a sketch book and do some pencil or pen and ink drawings of whatever struck my fancy. One thing I would sketch were these flowers that were peeking through a white picket fence. One day I brought my camera with me and took reference photos that would result in this pastel “Bowler Street Flowers” Little did I know that these flowers and white picket fence were the front yard of one of my high school classmates. She sent me a message exclaiming I had painted her flowers!

We really didn’t know each other all that well when in high school as we tended to hang with different crowds. I believe we were in a class or two for I remember a teacher pronouncing her name. She was one of those who always seemed to have a smile on her face and I always thought she had a sense of mystery about her, in a good way. We would become closer friends over this painting.

I don’t need to tell you that 2020 has been a challenge for all of us! Recently my classmate contacted me this past Monday on the anniversary of the passing of my wife seven years ago. We hadn’t been in touch as much in the past during 2020, if at all, but she took a moment to think of me and my family on the anniversary of my wife’s death. As I read through her message, she started to reveal, while 2020 had indeed impacted all of us, her 2020 was 10, 100, 1,000 times worse. She started the year with her son, a healthy 30+ yr old, suffering from a cardiac incident. Then one of her pups was diagnosed with brain lesions resulting in it suffering from seizures. Her son’s best friend from childhood was killed in a motorcycle accident and not a month later the girlfriend of that friend also died. Her son lost his job due to Covid, continues to have health issues and has fallen into depression. To top it all off, she herself, the rock of her family, was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of breast cancer. She has endured so much in the past year, much which would destroy a lesser person. While she admits she has moments when she just wants to cry, she soldiers on, determined to defeat this disease and claim back her life.

I shall not reveal her name out of respect for her privacy and I hope she is not upset that I have told folks this much. If she sees this post and wishes to let others know her identity that is her choice. Her close friends, family, and people who may know where she lives may already know who she is. I wrote this mostly to let her know people are here and that people care and that she doesn’t need to go this alone. I wrote this in hopes that you who have taken the time to read this through will take a moment to offer prayers her in her battle as well as to all those who have faced similar challenges, from the pandemic to cancer and beyond. I am sure it would be appreciated if you should do this. In her last message she asked if I still had a photo of these flowers, her flowers as she had lost the image from several years ago. And so, here my friend, if you see this, this is for you! Enjoy! Be strong! God Bless!