A Journey Down Memory Lane

When Earth's Last Picture is Painted

by: Rudyard Kipling

When Earth's last picture is painted and the tubes are twisted and dried,

When the oldest colours have faded, and the youngest critic has died,
We shall rest, and, faith, we shall need it -- lie down for an aeon or two,
Till the Master of All Good Workmen shall put us to work anew.
And those that were good shall be happy; they shall sit in a golden chair;
They shall splash at a ten-league canvas with brushes of comets' hair.
They shall find real saints to draw from -- Magdalene, Peter, and Paul;
They shall work for an age at a sitting and never be tired at all!
And only The Master shall praise us, and only The Master shall blame;
And no one shall work for money, and no one shall work for fame,
But each for the joy of the working, and each, in his separate star,
Shall draw the Thing as he sees It for the God of Things as They are!

Tonight, I have been taking a journey down memory lane.

A very dear friend lost his battle with cancer. Death is not the end,

it is only a bridge to another place. I've been reflecting on some of the

beautiful memories I have shared with Bob and his extended family.

I looked at family photographs and that was what sparked my memory

of this Rudyard Kipling poem. My best friends will recall my ability to

recite this poem word for word and how I learned it, but that's another

story.

Tuesday was a joyful day. I had visits from two different friends that

I literally hadn't seen in years. I had a phone call from a high school

friend and we talked until 1am. However, I also received a phone call

from my friend who is like a sister, telling me that Bob's time on earth

was coming close to an end. I could hear the pain in her voice and I felt

so helpless. As sad as that phone call was, I was also reminded of the

joy of connection. We all need one another.

So long, Bob. Thanks for adding to the fabric of our lives.