Purpose

Material Witness will focus on extreme textile process. Images will be posted here showing the history of my work, new work, developing projects and inspiration.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Susan is Gone

Susan Smith-Hurley-Dufton was my husband's first wife and the mother to my incredible step sons. She passed away and I heard about it this morning.

Her children loved her very much. She gave birth to incredible children. She was formidable and incredibly hard working. She was also very intelligent. Her children share those traits.

She loved Christmas. Christmas was what she mastered at. No one could bake a better fruitcake or make better homemade mincemeat than Sue. She loved twenty foot trees and enormous piles of presents. She knew how to mix every drink going. She was incredibly tough, brass and bold. She could carry a tune.

She never got to see the birth of her first grandchild. Didn't get old enough to retire at 54.

I am much flimsier emotionally and physically. I didn't always fight hard and even passed into a place where I welcomed death. She fought tooth and nail with such amazing will. She fought to her last breath. Somehow I survived this hideous illness and she didn't. I was so much sicker than her in the beginning. Sick for longer. Less chance to survive. Something changed that. No reason really.

I promise to cherish her children. I love them deeply. Doesn't matter than she and I never became friends. I will let her grandchildren know her best qualities. They won't get to know them Hopefully they will get to know my best and worst.

Each day we get to live is a surprise. So are each lesson and gift others give us without meaning to!

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