“We only have what we give.” ~ Isabel Allende
There’s a place on the 2 Pony Ranch that’s sacred. It’s a thick grove of Blackjack trees at the edge of the pasture. Angie’s horse, Dandy, is buried here. They call it Shady Grove. When Vicki Cheatwood’s husband, Mark Davies, lost his battle with cancer two years ago, she, their twin boys, and Angie and Jerry scattered some of his ashes here among the red rocks and moss. For a time, a small lounging angel was the only sign humans ever entered the space. Soon, a bench appeared, providing a contemplative place to sit and just be.
Vicki and the boys come often to Shady Grove. They’d visited just the weekend before Jerry died, in fact. Jerry had plans to clear some of the undergrowth and dead limbs from the grove to make it nicer for Vicki’s visits. Vicki writes a compelling blog called Life Unmarked, examining milestones and hardships, real and unexpected, about her life of widowhood. She’s a fantastic writer. No doubt her strength and insight will be a great comfort to Angie in the coming months and years.
Angie had wanted Vicki and I to meet for the longest time. It took Jerry dying to finally make it happen. She is every bit as wonderful as Angie said, and she was so kind to allow me to photograph her in her sacred space. It’s an honor when people let you into their lives in such an intimate way.
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