More Favorite Things

When I was in my early twenties I dated a guy for about a year. His name was Frank. He was a school teacher and a popular local musician. I was completely messed up when I met him- I had just ended a very intense relationship that crashed and burned quickly. But Frank was able to pick me up, dust me off and help me rebuild myself. He showed me love through words and songs, sometimes waking me up in the morning with his acoustic guitar in his hands, strumming softly, singing even softer.

We would go on day trips all the time. Not only did he play gigs up and down the East coast, but we thought nothing of getting into his jeep and driving 150 miles for someplace new to have lunch.

We left little notes for each other in a small notebook every morning. I'm sure he destroyed the notebook, but I would give anything to read the words we wrote.

He'd pick me up from work every night so that I didn't have to take the bus.

He gave me candy when I was having a bad day (back then, most of them were).

And he always brought me a sunflower or two to make me smile (and it always did).

Anyways, on to my favorite thing, part 3:

Frank and I went to a Pow-Wow while we were dating. It wasn't the first that I had been to. Still, I was amazed by the Native American culture. There was an artist there who made these pictures with sand on different sized pieces of slate. The artist's son was one of Frank's students. I fell in love with one:

To me, it looked like a lion. It was colorful and for whatever reason, I had an instant attachment to it.

Here's the back, which we discovered (after we got home) that it had some etching on it.

Click for bigger

Can you see it? Written above the white line: Sunflower.

Hunh. Isn't that a coincidence?

Eventually Frank and I went our separate ways. He's married with a couple of step-children. I see him around once in awhile, but conversations are always quick and a bit strange. Oh how I'd love to catch up with him and have a pint, but I doubt that would ever happen....