letter from a friend

I received this email the other day from my pergolina friend elise
I hadn’t seen or heard from her in a long time
I am beginning the gathering for this year
and I thought I might see her …
and then I opened this beautiful letter of love and devotion
I am sharing this with you

life is so fragile sometimes I forget this

- paulanna



Happy New Year to my wonderful clients:

I am sorry to write this to you in an email, but I wanted to let you know that my husband Ken passed away in his sleep on December 31st at approx. 4:00am after a 4-year battle with Squamous Cell Skin Cancer.  He was 58 1/2. He was hospitalized with Meningitis in November, and the last 2
months of the past year have been blur.

Obviously, I didn't deal with the holidays at all...so I am thanking you now for all the creativity you bestowed upon me last year....
it helped me cope immensely.  In lieu of Holiday Gifts, I will be making a donation to the Jules Stein Eye Institute for Orbital Disease Research.

On the eve of a New Year, our friend George Maguire says:

"Ken's journey these last years has been one of great courage and patience - and yours has been what you always are - unconditional love. The class act of Ken to leave us on the last day of the year, and giving you full permission to begin a new venture is truly stunning love from him. A gift!
May all of us learn from this glory and generosity of heart."

Although I'm sure you understand, I've not be able to talk to all of you personally - but will be able to do that as the immediate chaos settles.

I hope to see some of you next week -- Last July I had signed up to Exhibit at Beckman's West in Los Angeles next week Jan. 21st-24th  -- So I will be there in my same Booth Space #317 --2nd Floor at the LA Mart
Please come by to say hello if you are coming to the show. If not, please feel free to call...and I'd be happy to come by in person to show you some new designs.

I have been coping fairly well considering...as Ken's was a lengthy illness, I had time to prepare for his eventual passing.  We were together for 25 years....so it is still a huge loss.  I'm being saved by Iyengar Yoga, lots of projects (including a kitchen remodel) and I look forward to traveling more to out of town Art Shows and possible out of State Trade Shows.

I feel compelled to apologize if I wasn't as attentive,  delayed processing any orders, didn't email images promised or following up in a timely manner with materials requested.   My attention was completely fragmented with 70 Daily Hyperbaric Treatments at the beginning of last year and (2) intensive hospital stays in Aug/November for Ken. Sometimes I never knew what I could plan from one hour to the next. 

You have all been so supportive over the years asking about Ken.  His story and his bravery have affected many of my private and corporate customers and I feel you have all been part of this crazy experience.

What I can share from the Tibetan Book of the Living and Dying is that: "If we remember that every minute we are living that we are dying, we may make better choices in the moment and consciously decide how we want to act, be, respond  and create.  Some people have timely deaths, some untimely, so if we are conscious that either one could be in our life plan, we will not have regrets when that time comes."

Try to eat at a new restaurant, try new things, get out of your "rut", hang upside down**!
Wishing you a wonderful, happy, peaceful New Year ahead...
as well as Abundant Health!

Looking forward to sharing expanded creativity in the months ahead as I look forward to expressing my Artistic Gifts!  Thank you for offering them to your customers! It means more than you know.

In gratitude,
Elisa Goodman