From way back when, another era
Where no longer buildings stand
To hold the echoes of the cheer
And fun in the sun held so dear.
Gone are those carefree days
Of shimmering blue pools,
Sunlight dancing as we lazed
Laughed and played the fool.
A different time, a better time,
When less was more; each day
Bringing a new precious find
To gladden our carefree way.
There was of that happy few one
Who better knew what we had
In lieu of what makes folk sad,
And now that dear soul is gone.
Her name is Jo-Anne.
So sad. We will all miss her very much. A rare and special person - a welcome beacon in a dull, indifferent world. Her special gift was the way she made people feel. My last time with her, just 4 weeks ago, was filled with non-stop chatter and raucous laughter, as we shared irreverent quips and discussed everything under the sun. A dear friend whose absence will be keenly felt by me. x
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sue, for those words. I particularly liked what you wrote a handful of hours ago on Anna's (Jo-Anne's sister's) page:
ReplyDelete"I will miss her very much. Yesterday, I dressed my window in our vintage shop in memory of Jo. It was my small, loving tribute to a dear friend and fellow vintage lover. We met 5 years ago, when my stall was next to Jo's at the Vintage Market. I loved her instantly, we were the same age and had both led quite unconventional lives. We shared the same, irreverent sense of humour, were both outspoken, unafraid to speak out against what we thought wasn't right and both what I guess you'd call 'feisty'. Jo had great compassion in her soul. She was extremely talented, but I believe her true gift was in making everyone who knew her feel special. An hour in Jo's company and you would leave feeling better. My last time with Jo was just 4 weeks ago, when we both did her local Vintage Market. I'd not seen her in a while, although we'd retained continuous contact on Facebook. We greeted each other with a big hug, then filled the day chatting away, non-stop, joking, laughing raucously and making plans for later this year. The shocking news of earlier this week is still sinking in. My White Window for Jo was put together with love. I spent the day remembering the many happy memories I have of this lovely woman and choosing items for my display with Jo at the centre of my thoughts. Jo's husband, Bobby, went to see the window today and was very touched at just how much we'd all loved his Jo-Anne. A bright light left the world this week, one that I feel lucky to have been close to for a while in my life. x"