30 Dec 2020

Dearest Rodney,

Yesterday, 29 December, marked 1 year since my dear sister Patricia left this earth. I miss her so. I miss our weekly phone calls and talks about all kinds of things..things I only shared with her. Now, I share them in prayer…comforting, but not the same. I ask God to bless her in her mission and her family here in earth. I know about that 1 year milestone. Tough, no matter who you are, it’s tough.

The closing of another calendar year is drawing near..2020, a year that will be remembered as the pandemic for Covid19 virus. A year that has brought many sorrows and also some joys.

I remember you and I doing our yearly planning sessions, sometimes at home, sometimes at far away places. The one I will always remember is our first one together in Salzburg, Austria way back in 1997 when we were living in Montceau-Les-Mines. You said you really felt at home in Austria . We did our planning, shared our hopes and dreams, created a timeline, planned events, actions, objectives. We walked down the street of old town Salzburg called the Getreidegasse and looked at the beautiful windows as it snowed on Christmas Eve. Just magical. You bought me a little heart broach with a crown in it and called me your princess. You always treated me like your Princess. It was there in Salzburg we first saw the Wellendorff ring in a jewelers window and you urged us to go in and try it on. We couldn’t afford it, but years later, you would put one one my finger in HongKong. In Salzburg we walked over the bridge and stared at the emerald green water rushing below us, marveling at how clean it was. My romantic Rodney. I will always love you Rodney. always. You will always be the love of my life, still there, right behind my eyes, bringing a tear to my eye, yet joy in my heart as I relive the memories in my mind. I miss you Rodney, I just miss you.

Of course, I would love to be with you physically today, doing that. But that was not to be. While I absolutely cherish these memories, I cant stay in the past. Life goes on. Slowly, but surely, I am moving on.

So for 2020, I am grateful for the gifts from God..the gift of painting, the gift of thriving in my life, personally and professionally, the gift of good relationships with my family and friends..so many other gifts. I close the door on 2020, it’s a glass door..I can see through it, but I cannot relive it, and that is just fine with me today.

Today, I look forward. I am grateful to have new dreams, clarity of mission, the love and accompaniment of family, friends and most of all God my Father. Yes, there are many unknowns, some fears, some doubts and also much faith, and that makes all the difference.

I painted this work Rodney, using a photo given to me by a friend here in France. I love how it turned out..probably my best work yet. So, I raise my virtual glass (not wine, sparkling water!) to you my dear. I ask God to bless you in your mission, however that works. I ask God to keep me safe as we pass onto a new year on our calendar..in this box of space and time here in earth.

I remember the Chinese greeting at the passage of Chinese New Year..过年好，meaning cross over well. You have crossed over the bounds of earth Rodney. I am sure you have done it well.

Here’s to a great start of 2021!

Love,

Sarah