To Lisa
A couple of weeks ago I posted about my friend, fellow author and Deb, Lisa Madigan and how she was fighting stage 4 pancreatic cancer, how we were all praying for a miracle. Lisa didn't get her miracle. She passed away Wednesday morning. And she will be missed by so many. She had such a big heart, she was so giving and kind and generous and sweet. She was funny and authentic and seemed so unafraid. So many people in the YA lit community have been posting about how Lisa affected their lives. In every post, they speak of her encouragement, her kindness, the way she cheered them on, the way she gave of herself and her spirit.
I met Lisa online in 2008 through the incredibly nurturing community of the 2009 Debs, where she seemed authentic and caring and positive. The first time I met her in person was at the SCBWI conference in LA in 2009. I was shy and overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of people there and I kind of sucked at the whole networking thing. Lisa overflowed with a kind of comfort in that situation I've never known. She seemed to know everyone. She took me under her wing and introduced me around, always talking up my book as if it were the most amazing thing she'd ever read. She made me feel at ease. And as our friendship grew, no matter what she had going on, she never stopped being a cheerleader. She reached out to people and made connections I'm always shy about making. And she grew herself an amazing community.
Throughout her illness I've been thinking about her gift of giving, about the way she seemed to embrace so much of life. I aspire to be more like Lisa, living life with open arms. She embodied this quote by poet Mary Oliver:
"When it's over, I want to say all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms."
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms."
Lisa is a kind and loving soul. And she will be missed.
Cheryl - I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my best friend to cancer almost 4 years ago. Her loss is felt every day but the blessings she gave me live on. The Heart Gallery's success is in her honor. I pray that you find comfort in your memories of the special times. Big hugs, Michelle
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Thank you, Michelle <3
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Cheryl,
This is also the place where I met Lisa, too. I felt the same as you, so amazed by her incredible soul. So giving and so incredibly genuine and nice.
She was a treasure .
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She was. I hope I can honor her memory by learning to be more like her.
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