One Last Gift
October 2025
A thousand water drops
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This mural was painted in a quiet, and neat senior community, where all the houses look similar; everyone has a well-maintained and colorful flower garden out front, along with a tree that is as old as the house.
This project was different from the other three murals I painted in this lovely neighborhood—it carried a bittersweet weight.
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This short story starts one October Wednesday, when my father-in-law called with a special request from his neighbor, Martin.
Martin and his wife, Carol, had visited my home a couple of years before, at one of our famous “Open Show House” weekends, and Carol had fallen in love with the dew drop mural in my upstairs bathroom.
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Unfortunately, recently Carol had become ill, and spent some time in the hospital.
She was to return home for hospice care in just two days.
So, as one last gift to her, Martin asked if I could find time to paint a mural on their bathroom door to give her a sweet surprise and delight her in her last days.
So the next day, I packed my painting supplies and went to work, creating the likeliness of my dewdrop-strewn bathroom door.
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When Carol returned the following day, her son messaged me to say that she was so shocked and happy and started crying, she loved it so much.
It was an honor to give her that gift—a small joy in a challenging time.
Carol passed away peacefully early the following Wednesday, but her kindness and love of life will live on in the hearts and minds of those who loved her.
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