a sweet story~


Bouquerau's paintings have become some of my favorite thanks to our son Jonathan.
In the summer of 1993 Jonathan had just finished three months of intense chemotherapy to shrink the huge mass in his chest wall. He had gone to a friends house one day, a friend being raised by a single dad. When he came home he told me about a beautiful picture they had hanging up and as soon as he got his first credit card he was going to order it from a museum in Montreal.Amid all the stress I forgot all about his painting. Imagine my surprise a few months later, after his funeral when I recieved this picture forwarded from his college dorm! I was shocked that this was the picture he had talked about....somehow I had imagined something more....manly? But, my Jonathan had a sweet heart, and what a comfort he left his mom with this sweet picture.

 
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Comments

  1. Linda, I noticed the picture of your son before and the dates. It breaks my heart and then to read this story about the painting! It must be so special to you. I'm sure I have studied about that artist years ago. Must be French? Love the style.

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  2. I had never heard that story.

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  3. There is no question that William Bouguereau's later work was guilty of an overdose of 'Victorian Romantic Sentimentality', but he was also a very fine painter. In his day he was regarded EXTREMELY highly; nowadays art likes to shock, so he is sadly bypassed. I think Jonathan had very sophisticated taste.

    Have a good weekend. Bisou, Cro

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  4. Thanks Julie

    Lia, I'm surprised you hadn't heard that but...you wern't home then...

    Cro, yes, your right about Bouguereau , by the way I love your gardens.

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  5. What a sweet insight to the man your son was and would have gone on to be.
    I looked for your shop in Snohomish, thinking that I would say 'hello' but we couldn't find you.

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  6. Hello. I just randomly found your blog and read every entry. I was curious about your son with a mass in his chest. Did he have non-Hodgkins Lymphoma? The reason I'm asking is that my husband had a huge tumor in his chest and it was this type of cancer. My husband passed away in 2000. Not easy, for sure, but I can't imagine losing a child.

    I like the title of your blog. It caught my attention because three of my grand children has a Grandma Linda.

    I also wanted to comment on the saying at the end of your blog. I really, really needed to hear that right now and I was just wondering where you found it, who said it or are you the author? Anyway, It's great!!!\

    Thanks for letting me stop by and leaving this message!

    Stephanie

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  7. Beautiful! The post and the art. Your son had great taste. I'm very sorry to see that he's passed away.
    I randomly came across your blog and look forward to reading more of it.
    Janet

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  8. Hi, Linda! I found YOUR blog when I was on my own and then clicked..."Next Blog"....just for fun! I love your writings...so real and from the heart. Thanks for sharing a piece of yourself with us.

    Want to hear something crazy??? I was browsing through blogs you follow...and one of them is written by a sweet friend of mine! "SPAIN IS MY HAPPY PLACE"....! I actually *gasped* because it is SUCH a small world.

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