Dedicated to Aggie
And so it begins.
It has been years since I have written something in my blog "Pieces of Her Story". I got stuck on some thought or idea and couldn't get the words out and next thing I know it's 2016 and here I am creating a new beginning while honouring the ending of a most wonderful being life. Miss Aggie was 99 years young and passed away on Good Friday. She was just as beautiful as the day I met her.
Aggie was a gift to so many of us, to her family and friends, to this earth, to all the things she cared about and fought for. She was talented artistically and musically. Not a day would go by that she wasn't painting, drawing, playing the piano or sharing some story with whoever would listen. She had many stories to share and I was always a willing listener. She called Erin and I "the girls" and I loved that. On the day I took this picture (July 2015) she couldn't remember our names but she knew we were "the girls".
I don't know exactly what year I met her but I loved her right away. It was her enthusiasm for life. I remember a summer party at Rene and John's home where she entertained us all with her piano playing and I got to be her music sheet turner. I was happy to sit there as long as she wanted to play. I loved when I would be walking to the backyard and would hear the sounds of her music wafting out the window. If you entered the house when she was painting she'd tell you all about what she was working on, her inspiration and what colours she was going to use. She loved art and painted almost every day. She liked to see other peoples art as well. One evening I got to take Aggie to an art show opening of painter Sav Boro's work. She loved his art, particularly a piece with an elephant. Another time she came to a workshop I was co-leading where everyone got to make a mini journal, write some stories and do some art journalling. She talked a lot that afternoon about many of her experiences in life and I couldn't stop her even if I had wanted to because everyone was listening so intently to every word she said. She was a natural story teller.
When the pianos were placed outdoors here on Salt Spring she was right there playing away on the street and loving it. When she went out anywhere there was always someone who was excited to see her, give and get a hug and find out how and what she was doing. She loved to go out, a lot, and regularly asked John and/or Rene to take her somewhere, to some event or play or cafe both here on the island or Vancouver Island. In her 80's she attended the Erotic Art Show that was part of Pride Week and, when on island she always went to the Pride parade. She wasn't shy either about telling you her opinion about something and you diffently didn't want to get her started on politics. She could be pretty fiesty when she started.
I will miss Aggie very much but will smile at all of the memories I hold in my heart of our time together. Sending you love and blessings for your next journey.
