Intensity in 10 cities

last night i had truly one of the most moving of serendipitous magical moments of meeting someone I was supposed to meet. there's not even a way to write about it to exemplify the intensity.

I attended a wonderful swanky dinner/cocktail party, an event of the American Institute of Architects Austin, it's the kind of thing I go to a lot, and meet fabulous creative people i've always wanted to meet, see design and architecture I've always wanted to see. Learn stuff and contribute to a good cause.

This night, i felt lucky because I met the semi celeb designer of the space, and he sat with us and we were all bondy and fun and stuff. The food was from Sway. good life stuff.

I had spotted a fabulous older lady, with groovy glasses, super chic short hair and a daring red tunic ensemble. I pegged her as an artist, or art collector.  I wanted to meet her, and found myself in her circle later in the evening. It took about 2 minutes for us to realize we were both Realtors, and i learned she was a realtor of note - one I had heard of, one that had been around. We felt kindred and exchanged cards. She asked the inevitable about my tattoo, i gave the inevitable reply including breast cancer. That was the first moment
She pointed at her totally flat chest and said "do you think I was born this way" -  22 year survivor.
we hug, i get a bit teary, we bond. - funny to think that yes she actually was born that way, but i got the point.

Moving along, she mentions her son works at The Heart Hospital as a surgeon. I glibly mention that the Heart Hospital saved my dad's live and touch upon the fact the he was kind of a legendary miracle there, You've probably figured it out at this point, but I hadn't
And I wouldn't have, if she hadn't been a Realtor, and if my parents hadn't been selling their house right after my dad lived, and they hadn't meet when she wanted to show the house, and they made the connection that her son was indeed the surgeon that saved my daddy's life. And I hadn't mentioned they lived off of Far West and....
She remembered my dad's story. and if you remember, i was diagnosed at the tail end of my dad's ordeal. we were drained as a family, it was an intense time that is hard for me to think upon without getting emotional. Her son saved my daddy's life.

we were both just so blown away by the coincidence of us meeting, crying and huggin there in the mega hip designer offices of Peddle.com. What a scene.
Anyway, i feel so validated in the purpose of stuff. I feel blessed by the powers to have met her.  I feel incredibly grateful her son exists. I feel lucky, touched, special and perfectly placed in this planet. I know we are meant to be friends.

Don't you ever think about things like this, why was I there? why was she? why did we talk?

ok, enough intensity - here's a couple of pictures of groovy Alterstudio work with Joel Mozersky design to take the awkward edge off of my moment

Waterproof Mascara

Yesterday was my birthday, I went to Sephora and bought myself a new Benefit mascara called They're REAL - cute
today I learned that it is definitely waterproof, today I learned that a sweet friend Kate died.
It's been a rough day. She was young, very young, her darling husband is very young.
She died of Cancer.
Skin cancer, that had spread, to various parts of Kate's body, and ultimately her brain.
She fought this disease for many years, with varying levels of success with different treatments.
I know that people tend to say about most cancer patients that they are so positive ect... but ask anyone who came across Kate, and you will hear that she was truly the most positive and inspiring shining light in her battle with damn cancer than anyone.
She never doubted that at treatment would work, she never gave up, she always had a positive spin. I recently visited her in a hospice, where she went briefly to get a handle on severe pain, and even in there, unable to walk by herself, scared of the pain, no hair, she laughed, she talked about the future, she told me her various treatment options, she was having a birthday celebration. I was hardly sad myself when i was there.
Get this - when I was diagnosed and going through treatment - Kate called ME an inspiration. She was incredibly supportive. Wow
I guess when you are a cancer survivor, and someone else dies of cancer, you will never NOT have mixed, guilt, emotions, questions of why, fear, humility, and more strange hard to handle emotions. Beyond the grief.
I am having all of those - and before you tell me that that my journey was far from easy and all that - I know, I know what i went through was traumatic and scary and hard  - but still, I can't help it, I had a cancer that didn't spread, that could be removed by surgery, and zapped with a bit of chemo, I had a beginning and an end of it, and a clear path of HOPE. Kate did not have that luxury. But she did have HOPE nonetheless.
There are no answers. She is free now. And I can only assume that her life here on Earth was to touch us all, inspire hope, do good work, and remind us to be happy and strong
I miss you Kate