I never wear purple.

It was today, exactly twenty years ago. But that day almost seems insignificant when I think about the years before it or the years after it.

A century ago, when someone got sick, it wasn't unusual for them to die from the sickness, whatever it was- measles, tetanus, the cold. And relatively quickly too. Maybe a few months of illness and then POOF.  All gone.  And as terribly disrupting and traumatic as it may have been to experience the loss of that loved one, there was a bit of a difference from what we commonly experience with illness in our modern world.

In this world, we experience the big "C" all the time.  Caaaaaaancer. The terrifying word that dooms someone to prolonged suffering, but gives them winks of hope at every corner. Maybe the resilience of their body along with the doctors, the researchers a million miles away and their own will to live are going to take back their health for them and they will WIN.

But sometimes that takes a while.  Sometimes it takes months. Sometimes years.

Sometimes you win. Sometimes you don't.

You never really know how it's all gonna go down when you first hear that the battle is on.

So you fight. And fight. And fight. And pray. And fight. And rest. And fight. And get weak. And fight. And you howl and punch the wall. And fight. And lean against the wall for support. And pray. And fight. And sit down. And look up. And you don't know where to go from there.

This is the struggle I was raised on.  This is the struggle I remember today.

Learning How To Drown

One of my oldest friends, Patricia Noonan, has written a play that she has named "Learning How To Drown".  This heart-wrenching story swirls through three generations of women as they realize their different forms of autonomy from family myth while struggling with the choice to love. This play is a project Patricia has been working on for a couple years and it has been a pleasure to watch it grow and change over time.  Recently, she booked an official reading of the show in NY, complete with beautiful songs written by Amanda Jacobs, actors, a director and producer.  It's a really exciting time full of anticipation. 

She asked me if I would make a poster for the show.  I have read the show a half dozen times over the past year or so, and quickly sketched out this piece, then immediately flipped over the page because it was too simple.  Nothing is that simple.  I kept sketching, elaborating, and adding to the piece, but kept bending the paper back to sneak a peak at this sketch one more time.  I finally decided that this had to be it.

It is uncharacteristic of me to create such a simple piece and I'm glad I went through with it. It's a good reminder that sometimes less is more.

I also did this watercolor inspired by the play. 

If you're interested in hearing some of the music and seeing a video about the show, and maybe to donate toward its completion, check out her kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1582144598/learning-how-to-drown-a-musical