My Circle

Today, at my husband's urging, I reached out for help generating a new artistic life here on the left coast. I contacted many people who have been fans from the past: actors, directors, producers, artists, educators, writers, friends, -and asked for help. I called it my "Phoenix from the Ashes" campaign. The response was overwhelming.

Most of these people don't know the story of Pedro and Archer, and I wasn't sure whether to burden them with it. But the idea of sending a sunny, "Hi, how are you? Things are great out here in California" email made me feel hollow. I decided that there was no way to move forward without embracing my whole story, and so I wrote each person a brief summary of recent events (and pointed them toward this blog if they wanted more details: hello there!) Again, the response surprised and moved me to no end.

People wrote back expressing their sympathies, telling me their similar stories, offering names of contacts and friends, sending e-mails on my behalf, naming months for West Coast visits. People I haven't seen in years offered empathy, sympathy, love, prayers and well wishes. I feel so surrounded and protected by a circle of artists and educators and friends. I feel so lucky.

Thank you, to everyone I am lucky enough to know. Like a phoenix from the ashes, I will rebuild myself, to honor my sons, my husband, my family and my circle.