There are things in life that are worth more than mere money.
Faith.
Family.
Friends.
Faithful pets fall into that category, as well.
This spring, the faithful canine companion of Gene and Becky Newman, Katie, passed away after 13 years. I don’t know what breed of dog Katie was, but I do know she was much loved by the Newmans and by many of the other residents at Kansas Christian Home. The memorial held in her honor was very well attended.
Gene is a former Marine and past custodian at First Christian Church in Newton, where Neal and I attend. I first met Gene and later Becky during their visits to church and our visits to Kansas Christian Home while seeing other members and, early last year, Neal’s mom in her final weeks.
When I heard that Katie had died, my immediate thought was of my own canine companion, a ‘mixed breed’ (read ‘mutt’), the last of a litter of puppies that no one else wanted. Jessie was a boon companion for thirteen years. We walked together. We checked cattle together. She defended me fiercely when necessary. She died of congestive heart failure in 1996 and I have yet to be able to sketch her likeness, let alone paint her portrait.
But I could paint Katie’s portrait and offered to do so as a gift of service to Katie’s memory. The portrait is one of several featured demonstration paintings on this blog. (keyword search “Katie”). When the Newman’s agreed by providing a photograph, I set to work and the process is chronicled elsewhere.
Yesterday was Gene’s birthday and Becky had already decided the painting was to be a birthday surprise for him.
Today, he received his gift from Becky and me. It was quite moving to see tears well up in this ex-marine’s eyes at the portrait and at the happy memories it recalled. It put all the struggles over painting, technique, color mixing and all the rest in proper perspective.
Yes, some things are definitely worth more than mere money.
©Copyright 2008 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Carrie Lewis’s website.
