There are truly wonderful people in the world, after all.

www.vladimirkush.com

He painted this after 9/11. I saw the painting in a gallery in New Mexico with Jer & his family, and I cried. A couple months later, I emailed his representatives, asking them to please let him know how his painting has touched me and my family, to provide evidence that what we're feeling is not unnoticed, that one can transform something so sad and hard into a beautiful piece of art, that, in itself represents the creative process, as well as my own attempt to turn hardships into something beautiful.

His representatives assured me that they would let him know, and that was all I needed.

Instead, Mr. Kush emailed me from his personal account to let me know how touched he was that his work moved me. This man is famous, yet he found the time to reach out to someone who was touched by his work.

On top of that, he promised to think of something, since the piece in question was sold out.

I received an email several weeks later from a gallery, letting me know that a miniature print was available, but for an amount I couldn't possibly afford right now. I thanked them, anyway, since it was kind of Mr. Kush to come through with his promise.

Incidentally, during the Thanksgiving weekend, I showed my family pictures of his work from the gallery where I first saw his work. My mother fell in love just like I did, and I told her about my correspondence with Mr. Kush. She agreed it was wonderful of him to email me personally and try to procure a copy for me.

I received an email last night from a gallery in Las Vegas, presumably one that sells Mr. Kush's work. They asked me for my home address because he was so touched by my note that he wants to send me a giclee of Vitae Memoriae (now known as Born to Fly).

I'm still relatively speechless, save for the facts. It's been near impossible these past twenty-four hours to express my awe and gratitude and surprise and other overwhelming emotions.

I'm working on something, though.