Merry and sad

This morning we went to the Very Merry Holiday Fair in Baraboo. There were a number of things going on in town, but we went for the art show. There are excellent things there, most by local artists. Over the years, we have met and bought things from some of these creative people. A few years back on the Fall Art Tour, I bought a small red dragon print from Kae Taylor, who works primarily in batik. We have seen her several times since then at a number of shows and always stopped to chat.

Today when I went over to look at her things, I discovered that Kae had died this past August. She was not quite 60. I spoke with her husband and he said this was to be the last show. We ran into Rich and Peggy, too, and they bought a couple of Kae's prints for their house.

The art fair was fun and we met some new people. But it had that sad note of knowing that someone who had created beauty and shared that with us has gone.

I have shared this Navajo prayer before, part of the Navajo Way Blessing ceremony. It came to mind when I thought of Kae.

In beauty I walk
With beauty before me I walk
With beauty behind me I walk
With beauty above me I walk
With beauty around me I walk
It has become beauty again

Today I will walk out,

today everything negative will leave me.

I will be as I was before,

I will have a cool breeze over my body.

I will have a light body,

I will be happy forever, nothing will hinder me.

I walk with beauty before me.

I walk with beauty behind me.

I walk with beauty below me.

I walk with beauty above me.

I walk with beauty around me.

My words will be beautiful.

In beauty all day long may I walk.

Through the returning seasons, may I walk.

On the trail marked with pollen may I walk.

With dew about my feet, may I walk.

With beauty before me may I walk.

With beauty behind me may I walk.

With beauty below me may I walk.

With beauty above me may I walk.

With beauty all around me may I walk.

In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, may I walk.

In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, living again, may I walk.

My words will be beautiful…