Forever - SOLD

 

Marcus

I have an art page on Facebook, Marcia Hodges, Artist and I appreciate every single person who follows me and gives my art a home. Through the years I have met people through this that I would never have known and count some of them as my close friends.   Periodically, I give away a small painting.  During the give away, I have the viewers "like" the photo of the painting and leave a comment.  I then have my daughter generate a number from the amount of comments and I manually count down to that number.  I am very particular about being fair.  Four years ago I gave away a painting and there were 383 comments. When I counted down to the winner it was Marcus H. Smith.  I had never heard of Marcus H. Smith  except that I had noticed he frequently commented on my art and the comments were full of positive critiques.  I sensed he knew something about painting.  I messaged him for his address and sent him the painting.  He wrote to me, thanked me and then told me he was a 88 year old retired Methodist minister and he had painted in the past but in recent years he had not.  He told me he was inspired by my art.  My husband is a retired Methodist minister also, so we had a lot in common.  

This meeting began a friendship that has deepened over the last four years.  Marcus was usually at home with his wife, Vann who was dependent on caregivers.  He started painting again.  Sometimes he would send me paintings he was working on and ask for my input.  I would mark them up in photoshop and then send him ideas he could incorporate.  He thought I was so smart because I could do this.  He always took opportunities to brag about my skills and puff up my ego.  His art got better and better.  I was so impressed with his work and he consistently reminded me of his age and told me to tell anyone who doubted their ability that if he could do it then they could also.  He once asked me if he could copy a painting I had done and I told him, "Yes, but you can not paint it better than me."  :)

Marcus was full of wisdom, compassion and love for others.  As the years went by I came to appreciate him more and more.  I learned little tidbits about his past ministry as others saw his comments on my art and then told me what he had meant to them over the years.  I also saw examples of his writings on his Facebook page and examples from his previous sermons.  I learned that he loved his family very much  and he was so proud of his children and grandchildren.  His wife, Vann died last year and he was so thankful for the wonderful 66 years they had shared and he told me how smart she was and how she excelled in her field of counseling.

Marcus would text me every week for the last 4 years, sometimes in the middle of the night when he could not sleep.  He was funny and always complementary of me and my art.  He would sometimes send me little presents at Christmas or my Birthday that would make me smile.  This August he bought one of my paintings for his granddaughter and this is the note he sent me.

Last year my friend, Deb and I were in Destin and I found out that Marcus was there also at his condo with his daughter.  Deb and I arranged a little visit and I got to meet Marcus for the first time in person.  His daughter told me we had made his day.  It certainly made mine.

On September 6 Marcus commented on one of my paintings on Facebook.  I always looked for his comments because he usually made an attempt to point out what was right.  I had not received a text from him for a couple of days so I was glad to see that.  Three days later when I had not heard from him I texted to see if he was ok.  His daughter wrote me back and told me he had had a massive stroke the afternoon of the 6th.  Marcus died September 18.  My heart has been saddened, as many have been by his passing.  Marcus was 92.  I know he could not live forever here but I miss him so much.  I am so thankful our paths crossed and the impact he had on my life.  His was a life well lived, full of love, wisdom and compassion.  Knowing Marcus,  he would not want me sad about his passing but happy that he is with the ones he loved and probably has his easel set up near Jesus.     I have included some of his art here .