Our dear friend Cindy Woods died this afternoon, peacefully and on her own terms, after an on-again, off-again seven-year battle with oral cancer. She heroically endured months of chemo and radiation, the invasion of her body by numerous tubes and attachments, and the prospect of more to come until Monday, when she said, 'enough.' The same explorer's spirit with which she documented in her drawings the world around her, that impelled her in recent years to take numerous trips with her devoted friend Ronda to New York and elsewhere, on the trail of great art, music, good food and joy, made her want to face death directly, with resolve and strength of heart. I have an image of her climbing to her fate as if it were Mount Kilimanjaro, planting her flag at the summit, triumphantly claiming the destination as her own. Cindy Woods---artist, conqueror, beloved friend.
She lived a very rich life and I admire so much how she accepted the difficulties she was handed so gracefully. Such a creative soul--I will miss her sharing her gifts with us all. Lovely tribute, Laura.
Posted by: a brush with color | November 22, 2008 at 09:22 PM
oh Laura, I am thinking of you, a good friend who has lost a good friend, be full of joy that you knew each other. xxxxx
Posted by: sarah Wimperis | November 22, 2008 at 05:35 PM
Very touching, a special soul, surrounded by friends.
Posted by: Sandra Rice | November 22, 2008 at 05:11 PM
at 7 am the morning cindy passed, she held
my hands and allowed me to cry. she told me
that it was ok, that she had had a wonderful
life, no regrets. I told her that i was
blessed to have known her, and thankful for
her friendship. I wonder how her small frame held all that she was.
A PHENOMINAL WOMAN PHENOMINALLY
Posted by: s. williams | November 22, 2008 at 04:25 PM
I'm sorry for your loss, Laura. I also read the post about Cindy at Making a Mark, and then visited her blog and Flickr albums. I didn't know and I feel saddened by that because she was obviously a person full of love, intelligence, and strength; it's all there in her drawings. I'm awed by her journey.
Posted by: laura s | November 22, 2008 at 03:18 PM
I had never known or met Cindy. She was another fellow artist on the net. May Cindy's soul rest in peace.
Posted by: Nature and me | November 22, 2008 at 01:24 PM