Shannon, Friend of Kevin, Artist

She is an artist, a friend of a friend who was also an artist and also happened to be my godson.  I met her through him back in my college days and after he died we shared stories of Kevin.  He was missed.  He was loved.  His heart and artistic vision were appreciated.

We continued on as friends through Facebook over the years.  I appreciated her insightful comments, especially when it had to do with my attempts at doing something artistic.  She became a single Mom of teenaged kids and worked hard to make a home for them.  

I admired her from afar as she struggled in a distant town, but then I realized just this past week that she had not commented on any of my posts in quite awhile and vice versa.  It was a Facebook memory with one of her comments that alerted me to the gap in communication.

I started reading the most recent posts on her account and a creeping dread mixed with sadness began to take hold.  Friends posting about missing her, about praying for her kids.  I messaged one of those friends who informed me Shannon had died in her sleep in February.

February!  I felt bad I hadn’t figured it out sooner.  She had gone to the ER not feeling well and was evaluated but then sent home.  Her kids found her in the morning, dead of an apparent heart attack, the subtle signs of female cardiac symptoms lost on a night shift ER staff.

But then today in the blue garage at work I noticed a peculiar sight.  Someone with a baby blue Lincoln Continental had custom-attached a blue-winged angel ornament on their hood.  It made me think of Shannon and her quirky artistic nature detaching itself from corporality.

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