Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Calling All Artists

On the left in this photo is my best friend (me on the right) the day we graduated from HS in 1986. My friend Cherie has been part of my life since she lived around the corner from me in kindergarten. We met each other in the neighborhood and when her parents divorced and she moved away into apartments, we were still connected through public school. We were lab partners in middle school science class, and we hated gym class equally! Her last name being Stannard and mine being St. Hilaire, we ended up with adjacent desks in high school homeroom for four years.

Cherie's mom was a pastel artist. She was the first person in my life who ever took me to an art museum. One weekend when I was sleeping over with Cherie (which I did a lot) her mom packed us egg salad sandwiches and drove us to Connecticut to see real art, by real artists, in real life.

These are things you don't forget.

Now we are 42, my friend Cherie and I have managed to stay in touch all these years. Last week Cherie was in a terrible car accident. She rolled her Jeep and suffered a broken neck. Cherie, my rock, my one stable friend through the tumultuous years of my childhood, is helpless in a hospital bed.

Why am I writing this? I want to ask you, any of you, all of you who are artists, or just creative in your own way... would you consider making a card, a sketch or a scribble and joining me in a creative letter writing project to her? I want to send Cherie a hand written note or hand-made card every day starting today. Cherie's sister Susan and her sister in law Alison have agreed to bring my letters to ICU and read them to Cherie.

Wold you join me, even though you don't know her?
If you knew her, you'd love her like I have, all my life.
And she would so much appreciate our creativity.

Email me for a mailing address
thank you so much,
Elizabeth

9 comments:

  1. This is a perfect tribute to Cherie, Elizabeth! Here's hoping that the cards will outnumber the minutes it takes to read them, and that they carry her through healing and PT and into a new life. :)

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  2. What an awesome (and I hate that word) thing to do. I'm in : )

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  3. this is a wonderful, loving thing to do.
    I am going to send a card but by email as I live many thousands of miles away in the Caribbean.
    Would you mind printing it out and giving it to Cherie?
    Corrie

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  4. I've gotten many requests for the address! Also, please forward to anyone you know who might have a minute to send a note. Going somewhere neat? Send a postcard! Got kids artwork? Send a homework paper! When she gets out of ICU her family will be taping things to the walls for her. How about ACTs? I know you have them, I'm sure her family would love to tack them to the wall as well!

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  5. Corrie, I'd be happy to print and mail it to her, absolutely!!

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  6. Elizabeth you are an amazing friend..and I'd love to contribute some artwork.

    I'll email you for the address shortly.

    Alison

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  7. You are a wonderful friend and this is a terrific idea.
    Hope you get many replies to your request and that your friend improves and heals quickly.

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  8. (not meant for publication)

    Hi Elizabeth. I was going to pop something in the mail but realized I don't have an address. Could you email one to me? (my address is krempel123@gmail.com)Thanks!

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  9. What a wonderful thing to plan for your friend. I hope the cards and ATCs and other artwork and things cover her walls and give her such joy that her healing will be so quick the doctors will be amazed!

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thank you for taking the time to read and comment! :)