Jean Henderson
New member
First Day of the Dead Since My Son Left Us
Twelve days ago, we buried my son, Rulon "Lonnie" Henderson. His smile was legendary as was his kindness to strangers as much as to friends. Nineteen days ago, he left us for his new work elsewhere in the Universe.
These nineteen days have been the most difficult of my life. From the moment I fell to the ground when the State Trooper gave me the horrible news, I became incapable of making even an acceptable snap shot -- nor did I have any desire to do even that much. But my granddaughter, his niece who is in my guardianship, will need memories of this time when her family gathered around her to lift her up in her pain and her silent wondering about how such a thing could even happen to the uncle she loved so much -- so I had to try.
Then, while visiting Lonnie's grave the afternoon of Halloween, I felt that familiar urge to make a picture. Not that I had brought a camera for such a visit mind you! Then I realized that I DID have the iPhone Lonnie had encouraged me to purchased and had arrived four days before his death. I hesitantly took it out of my pocket. At first, I just took a picture from a distance, but that style of photography is not my usual one so I moved in closer for the photo above.
Earlier in the week, my granddaughter Justice had visited Lonnie's grave with his partner Ellyn. Together they brought flowers, but Justice also wanted to place a crayon with her Uncle Lonnie. Suddenly, that little crayon grabbed my interest and this photo was made:
Those of you who may have some Christian feeling, may prefer this photo -- which contrasts life and death:
The above was written on Nov. 2nd, this year's Day of the Dead. I must tell you that my 30 year old son had lived -- in his short life -- more fully than most people live in a much, much longer lifetime. At least 4 people of the 300+ who attended his wake told me that my son had changed their lives. The next morning, even though it was a work day, over 200 people attended his funeral services. I designed that service to be a celebration of life for a man who, though definitely not religious, was very, very spiritual. Yes, his body was carried in to Aaron Copeland's "Fanfare for the Common Man." That was followed by this version of John Lennon's "Imagine" as a way to celebrate both his world wide travels and the 9 months he spent living his dream by volunteering for an NGO founded and run by a group of young Scottish doctors to bring mobile medical clinics to the rural villages of Zambia's Southern Provence:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcMcVTYKMX4
His smile and his infectious laugh -- that are still commented on by so many -- was, remarkably, a part of him from early infancy. They were matched only by the size of his spirit. Anyone that ever knew Lonnie would say he was the smartest, kindest and most gifted human being that they ever had the pleasure of knowing. He was the kind of person who would walk off a puddle jumper plane and make a new friend or two before he reached any kind of building. He never acknowledged the depth of his photographic skills (most of his photos were taken with an iPhone), but this is one I know he was proud of because, just at the beginning of October, he had asked me if I would print and frame it for him:
Now here he is "in his element":
And here he is with his partner, Ellyn, on a trip to Zambia's Northern Province where, a few years before, she had served as a member of the Peace Corps:
May my son rest in deep, deep peace as he continues his new work in the beyond!
Now I thank any of you who have read this far for indulging a grieving Mom...
Twelve days ago, we buried my son, Rulon "Lonnie" Henderson. His smile was legendary as was his kindness to strangers as much as to friends. Nineteen days ago, he left us for his new work elsewhere in the Universe.
These nineteen days have been the most difficult of my life. From the moment I fell to the ground when the State Trooper gave me the horrible news, I became incapable of making even an acceptable snap shot -- nor did I have any desire to do even that much. But my granddaughter, his niece who is in my guardianship, will need memories of this time when her family gathered around her to lift her up in her pain and her silent wondering about how such a thing could even happen to the uncle she loved so much -- so I had to try.
Then, while visiting Lonnie's grave the afternoon of Halloween, I felt that familiar urge to make a picture. Not that I had brought a camera for such a visit mind you! Then I realized that I DID have the iPhone Lonnie had encouraged me to purchased and had arrived four days before his death. I hesitantly took it out of my pocket. At first, I just took a picture from a distance, but that style of photography is not my usual one so I moved in closer for the photo above.
Earlier in the week, my granddaughter Justice had visited Lonnie's grave with his partner Ellyn. Together they brought flowers, but Justice also wanted to place a crayon with her Uncle Lonnie. Suddenly, that little crayon grabbed my interest and this photo was made:
Those of you who may have some Christian feeling, may prefer this photo -- which contrasts life and death:
The above was written on Nov. 2nd, this year's Day of the Dead. I must tell you that my 30 year old son had lived -- in his short life -- more fully than most people live in a much, much longer lifetime. At least 4 people of the 300+ who attended his wake told me that my son had changed their lives. The next morning, even though it was a work day, over 200 people attended his funeral services. I designed that service to be a celebration of life for a man who, though definitely not religious, was very, very spiritual. Yes, his body was carried in to Aaron Copeland's "Fanfare for the Common Man." That was followed by this version of John Lennon's "Imagine" as a way to celebrate both his world wide travels and the 9 months he spent living his dream by volunteering for an NGO founded and run by a group of young Scottish doctors to bring mobile medical clinics to the rural villages of Zambia's Southern Provence:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcMcVTYKMX4
His smile and his infectious laugh -- that are still commented on by so many -- was, remarkably, a part of him from early infancy. They were matched only by the size of his spirit. Anyone that ever knew Lonnie would say he was the smartest, kindest and most gifted human being that they ever had the pleasure of knowing. He was the kind of person who would walk off a puddle jumper plane and make a new friend or two before he reached any kind of building. He never acknowledged the depth of his photographic skills (most of his photos were taken with an iPhone), but this is one I know he was proud of because, just at the beginning of October, he had asked me if I would print and frame it for him:
Now here he is "in his element":
And here he is with his partner, Ellyn, on a trip to Zambia's Northern Province where, a few years before, she had served as a member of the Peace Corps:
May my son rest in deep, deep peace as he continues his new work in the beyond!
Now I thank any of you who have read this far for indulging a grieving Mom...
