"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
-Lewis Carrol, The Walrus and The Carpenter
The time has come to talk of Cedwyn. The time has come to celebrate our brilliant Flutterby. She will always rest gently on our hearts.
I didn't think it would be this way. None of us did. How could such a vital force leave us? How could someone who would have painted the moon purple if she could, be gone?
J.R.R. Tolkien
“PIPPIN: I didn't think it would end this way.
GANDALF: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it.
PIPPIN: What? Gandalf? See what?
GANDALF: White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.
PIPPIN: Well, that isn't so bad.
GANDALF: No. No, it isn't.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
This is not goodby. Love never dies. Cedwyn lives on in all our hearts.
She lives on when we open ourselves to the wonder around us.
Did you know she loved bubbles? She did, so make some for her. Make a cloud of bubbles for your own heart's joy and memory. People will be making bubbles in her honor at Mt. Tabor Park, in Portland, Oregon this afternoon. Cedwyn would love it.
Today from Portland, Oregon to Portland, Maine, from Coast to Coast, and country to country, we are gathering to celebrate the gift that was and will always be our own Chaos Fairy, our lover of all things winged, our Cedwyn.
Today, people are wearing her favorite color, purple, and raising their glasses to her laughter and life.
Today, we gather to share tears, comfort, laughter, and magic. Cedwyn would not have wanted it any other way.
So come on in. There are comfortable chairs amidst the flowers that she loved.
Cedwyn is not really gone.
She lives on in the loved sound of rain falling on a tin roof.
She lives on in the butterfly ring on her mother's hand. Linda is wearing that ring at the Celebration of Cedwyn's life today at Mt. Tabor Park in Portland, Oregon. If you're there, keep an eye out for a sudden rainbow flash of light. It will lead you to Cedwyn's Mom and a welcoming hug.
Cedwyn lives on in our fight for justice. She lives on in the song of her loved whales and our fight for this beautiful blue world.
She lives on in the millions of people who now have access to health care through the Affordable Care Act, a law she never stopped fighting for.
She lives on in her Mother's and Father's memories. A laughing little girl running through the farm's fields with her sister and cousins.
She lives on in all of you.
So share your memories, your tears and laughter. Share the music she loved so well. Raise your glass in a blessing for our Cedwyn.
Most of all, remember - you are loved.
To Cedwyn, always, with love.
Update: Cedwyn's wonderful mom sent some lovely photos from the Portland, Oregon celebration of Cedwyn's life to share with all of you.
And this is Cedwyn's Mom, Linda with one of Cedwyn's Portland friends who is also named Linda. Don't Cedwyn and her mom look so much alike?
This lovely butterfly child is Lydia. She is the daughter of a dear friend of Cedwyn's. Cedwyn was Aunt Terry to Lydia and she misses her very much.
Our own SaraR and Winglion with Cedwyn's quilt that you all made possible.
A heart shaped box with wildflower seeds. The seeds were cast out over a fenced off field. Next year wildflowers will grow and butterflies will dance among them.
And just in! More photos from our SaraR.
Cedwyn/Terry's Mom made these gorgeous butterfly cup cakes. So much thought and effort was put into the gathering for Cedwyn. Her Mom and friends in Portland knocked it out of the park.
Roo and Cedwyn's mom setting the table
The quilt and Cedwyn's lanyards and pins from Netroots Nation conferences
Cedwyn's mom wearing butterfly jewelry
Linda and Linda
From SaraR:
It was lovely at the crest of Mt. Tabor...beautiful views and beautiful people. It was lovely to meet Cedwyn's mom, Cedwyn's husband, and the friends who took care of Cedwyn while she was ill.
We had a lovely pot luck lunch, heard Grateful Dead tunes played by her roommate, Roo, and our own BOHICA. Then we walked to a meadow which is never mown, where we spread wildflower seeds in Cedwyn's memory. We had a little talking circle where we each remembered her, too. The fence of the meadow was decorated with some of Cedwyn's favorite batiks, for the occasion.
Roo and BOHICA playing Grateful Dead tunes, with Lucy the dog
Cedwyn's husband, John
Cedwyn's friend, Jesse, wearing a butterfly on his hat
Kossack Ozsea1
flowers for Cedwyn, tucked in a tree trunk
Lydia, wearing butterfly wings, poses with cupcake (too cute!)
group shot at the table
Ann blowing bubbles, one
Ann blowing bubbles, two
Ann blowing bubbles, three
barbeque (I didn't catch this man's name)
Damnit Janet and husband
Meadow where words were spoken and wildflower seeds spread
Linda spreading seeds
Another view of the meadow with Cedwyn's batiks
Wildflower seeds in a special heart-shaped box, decorated with butterflies and a portrait of Cedwyn
Husband John tells us about his wife, Cedwyn
The music will always be playing for Cedwyn
