Thursday, July 10, 2008

Daxton





Death is a part of life. We all know that. But, it really hurts when a little innocent one is taken away prematurely.

I had heard about the home nursery accident from our daughter Dondi. It was the one-year-old grandson of her good friend Margaret Walters. Little Daxton had a cord from the curtains in the nursery tangle around his neck and choke him to death.

I grieved from a distance, and then went on with my wonderful artistic life. It wasn’t until I received a copy of the funeral service program with a picture of Daxton on it, that I became emotionally involved.

I guess the program turned the calendar pages of my memory back a number of years to the time when our first grandchild, Joshua, was called back to Heaven at 5 ½ months. They called it Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It really hurt. Carolyn and I felt so helpless.

The Funeral program for Daxton listed the services and the participants. I was so proud of the parents and grandparents for all taking a part on the program as speakers of some sort. No blaming of God by them, only a desire to live worthy enough to someday join Daxton in Heaven.

Dondi wanted to know if she could commission me to paint a portrait of Daxton to give to the family.

I guess it was the eyes of Daxton that made painting the portrait so compelling. Then it was the presence of Daxton in my studio that made it so enjoyable.

Isn’t life great?