In the fall of 2019, I was praying for my faith. Instead of the size of a mustard seed, I wanted it to be the size of a pear. A big, juicy pear. If I could move mountains with a mustard seed (and we sort of did if you considered coal ash remains of mountains), then what could I do with a pear? Besides, my friend, who had this giant faith was dying. It was so sad to watch. And even harder for me to accept. I continued to pray for miracles until the bitter end.
A short time later, I came across a book covered with a mother holding an umbrella over her kids and it was raining pears. I immediately grabbed it from the library. It was a book on faith written by Jeannie Gaffigan about facing a brain tumor.
It was really hard to press through realizing the topic. Danielle died from an almost ten-year brain tumor battle at the end of November 2019. Danielle’s brain tumor was the size of a juice box. In reading the memoir, Jeannie really suffered for months after her surgery. Like in the hospital, in the bed. Needed a tracheotomy. It was awful.
And while I was not there for Danielle’s recovery from her first and second craniotomy during the summer of 2010, I don’t recall this same severe state. I know her mother cared for her and helped her recover. But her ability to rebound seemed quicker in my memory. She seemed to be living a full life. In reading, I realized yet another way that Danielle was a miracle.
I was gifted almost a full year after her third crainiotomy, nine years later. She rebounded quickly and never, ever complained to me. We had a remarkable year advocating for coal ash clean-up and making art together. We worked to plan the labyrinths and gardens for Walnut Cove. She even won a seat on the Town Council a few weeks before she passed away. Her life was a miracle. I am grateful to have witnessed it and grew in faith by her example.
Danielle’s passing also left me sad and tired. This video by UNC J-School Students captured my sadness. It was recorded in February and then I slept most of March 2020 once COVID hit.
Once I recovered from a very bad bronchial infection, I began painting in my studio. The pear above was the first piece that I painted. Oliver was also working in the studio the same night and splattered a wet, red paint across the pear. A perfect splash of cover. I framed the piece for Father’s Day 2021 and it now hangs in our living room.
I am so excited to have the story of our friendship and, most importantly, the story of Danielle’s courageous battle captured in “Under the Skin’ by Linda Villarosa. Linda is making the first stop of her book tour in North Carolina. She is coming to see the coal ash art exhibit at Greenhill. Please come out for both the book tour and the art exhibit in June.