For Dee ~ Such Beautiful Wings

Last week a lovely lady finally lost her battle with cancer. Her name was Delia Islip and she was the wife of a blog friend of mine, fellow author, Bryan Islip. 

I never met Dee, but I will miss her very much. She first contacted me several years ago, to tell me how much she'd enjoyed reading my book. We continued to email after that and her emails were always full of warmth and brightness. She's in my list of people to thank and acknowledge for my second book, since it was her encouragement that kept me going when I started to doubt if I'd ever finish writing it. 

Dee, from my experiences and all I've heard from her husband, was one of those people who made the world a better place simply by being herself. Even though she was battling illness, and had been told several times there was no hope, she kept optimistic till the very last. Her emails were always a joy. She took time to count her blessings and in doing so reminded you of how lucky you were to also be alive. If she managed to be such a glowing lovely person within words on a computer screen, I can only imagine how powerful the entire person must have been. I'm sure her loss will be felt by all who knew her. 

In tribute there was only one song I could think of that fitted - Dragonflies, written by Boo Hewerdine and sung here by one of my favourite Scottish musicians, Eddi Reader.

A lost summer's day, a lifetime away

What do you find

Slow turning sun, with somewhere to run

Are on your mind
 Not the flash that you saw

And was gone in the wink of an eye

As soon as we're here, we disappear, like dragonflies.

Their miracle blue can never tell you

How we came to be

Each different kind, accidental, designed

Before you and me

And we ask the whole of our lives

maybe there's no why

As soon as we're here, we disappear, like dragonflies.

How can something so fragile leave us helpless

We all feel helpless once in a while

How can something so fragile leave us humble

We all need humble once in a while.

And now nature can sing such beautiful wings

Did you think of this?

That each of us know in our hearts we must go

And that's what beauty is

And just as the dream you were in

dissolved in the morning sky

As soon as we're here, we disappear, like dragonflies.