Day 12 #HAWMC Ekphrasis 15 Minute Challenge

Ekphrasis is writing about another art form. Day 12 of the WEGO #HAWMC is to write freely for 15 minutes on a piece of art of  your choice, mistakes and all.....

Before anyone panics about copyright, my parents own this piece of artwork which was painted by one of my dearest friends husband, Steven Perkins.  

I've been thinking a lot about Barb lately, and this seemed like a perfect outlet. You see, Barb was my college roommate and one of my dearest friends. She was one of the first people I met at college orientation who in my mind, "looked normal" for a music school person. She introduced herself to me and we immediately hit it off. 

If my memory serves me correctly, we were usually together throughout our college years. We would go on our breaks together, take classes together and of course roomed together. She was going to have a family, I was going to be the business woman. Ugh, how different life would be for both of us.

After I got married so did Barb, we moved, they moved, then we ended up moving closer to one another. It was about this time disaster struck - Multiple Sclerosis, and not the good kind.  She held her own for about the first two years and her husband Steve stood right by her side. Unfortunately, MS was not kind to Barb, there were no children for her and her husband, no more singing, and could she sing and no more Barb. Slowly but surely MS took her very soul.  All the while Steve was with her, by all rights she should have been placed in a nursing home for full time care - but he, and her family, wouldn't have it. Amazing people. Barb died at home on May 6, 2008 from complications due to MS. There isn't a day that goes by when I don't think about her and Steven. I miss you both....

Thanks for reading and feel well,

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© Nancy Harris Bonk, 2011.Last updated April 14, 2011.