Olga never said that someone had died. Instead, she said that they "went to live in Heaven." I'm sorry to have to share with you that my dear friend Olga went to live in Heaven recently, at the age of 92.
Whenever we met someone who didn't know the story of our friendship, Olga would ask me to tell it and every time, she would laugh and laugh.
Many years ago, when I first picked up a drawing pencil again, I joined a group of artists who met every Thursday night at the local high school. We encouraged each other, gave gentle advice and shared the challenges of creating.
Anyone who has known me for five minutes knows that I'm a creature of habit. I had "my" spot in the art room, at "my" table, sitting in "my" chair.
You can imagine my shock when I discovered a STRANGER sitting in "my" chair!!! She smiled and said, "Hello, what's your name?" Before I answered, I glared at the other artists, wondering why they hadn't made her choose another spot...she was sitting in MY CHAIR!!!
I didn't WANT to be her friend, but of course, that's what happened. (Folks, she painted me a Valentine! Who could resist love coming at you like that?!) She was one of my most treasured friends and I told her so at every opportunity. We referred to ourselves as "The Best Chair Buddies" and that was how we signed our frequent texts and emails.
We spent countless hours talking about the important stuff: faith, family, art. She was an oil painter and always shared her knowledge. There was nothing better than Olga's coffee and my Lemon Snickerdoodle Cookies on a sunny afternoon, looking out at the lake together.
The pandemic challenged us, but we found a way to be together, dutifully sitting 6 feet apart on benches outside the Senior's Residence in town after she moved there. Yannick and I were visiting her one day, all of us shivering in the cold with leaves swirling at our feet, stubbornly grasping every second we could.
She loved the things I made for her, from the roses made from denim to the knit dishcloth with a conch shell on it. She called the quilt I made "Blankie" and travelled with it in her car when she was still spending half the year in Saskatchewan and half the year here. (Whenever she was packing to leave, I would tell her that even as a greedy Scorpio, I knew I had to share my "Chair Buddy" with her other friends.
Olga encouraged me in everything I did, from painting to writing this blog. Whenever I entered a painting in an adjudicated show, it had received Olga's approval first.
In sharing her time with me, I now have loads of treasured memories with Olga, of conversation, laughter and joy. Of course, I'm still a greedy Scorpio. There's never enough time with someone you love.
If, when my time comes, I "move to Heaven", I know I'll see Olga there, smiling, sitting in "my" chair!!!
Thank you for spending this time with me,
Lori xx