.:Dreams and Swords:.

Loss of Grace

Today I found out that a professor of mine suddenly died of cancer last week.

Professor Rosalinde Wilcox had taught at the college since for numerous years, and had brought to each of her classes a true sense of enthusiasm for art. Each subject, each lecture, enclosed an intriguing story behind it and an experience from her past we could draw on to remember information. Her life of study was inspiration, and the absence of her grace from this world is a loss for many.

For me, the news of her death came at quite a shock as I had been planning on emailing her this evening after my classes were over. Professor Wilcox was a teacher I will always remember as engaging, not just as an instructor but as a person who got to know each of her student. She was a woman I admired for her strength of character, and her depth of knowledge. She was a teacher you went to class to hear speak.

In this past week a raven has been following me around. They're not uncommon in California, but a single raven during a season where there are few captures ones attention. In the mythology around the world, including the Americas which I studied under Professor Wilcox, the raven is a sign of impending death. Although I don't always believe in signs, when I learned of her passing I immediately went to her teachings on the subject - more of a side note in a multitude of facts. Even if it was a coincidence, I think she would had gotten a kick out of the irony.

I write this as my own personal memorial to Professor Wilcox. To remember that life is precious, and life can quickly fly by before we get a chance to truly explore its possibilities. One the key principles behind her teachings was that the memory of life lives on long after we leave this Earth. In pottery, in ruins, in statues, and in writing we can see what life once was, and celebrate that we are here to pass on that gift.

In honor of her, this is my shard of pottery I leave in her memory for others to find. She was a one-of-the-kind woman and professor. She will be greatly missed.

Rosalinde Gregor Wilcox
1936 - 2009
Rest In Peace