Today Is My Long Lost Childs Birthday

Camille Joan Autry Dingfield
This is my beautiful Cami on her wedding day. February 29, 2008
Leap year...go figure!
Cami
I painted this of Cami, (she was the originator of selfies...) when she was in high school. She didn't get to go to prom and seemed uncharacteristically fine with that. Her date got grounded.
Cami would have been 25 years old today if she had not made the decision to end her life on April 8, 2011. Hardest event of my entire life and all her family, including her husband Robert whom she loved dearly. My Savior cried with us that day, and again today. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to have had her as my child for a mere 21 years. She was born laughing, and always handled hard things with a touch of dark humor. As she grew older many health challenges plagued her, mostly tummy aches that today I believe was a gluten intolerance and the need for real food. Add to the health challenges, a sad spirit that longed for perfection but had no idea where to start.

I tried to attach the song by Mindy Gledhill called 'Long Lost Child' but failed. This beautiful song always reminds me of Cami and her challenges. I love her so, and miss her so much today. We went to her headstone at the cemetery and put a fresh bouquet of red roses surrounded by white daisies. When the Resurrection flowers are ready, I will divide the bulbs and plant some at her headstone.

Beautifully wild, long lost child.

Today I will spend the rest of the day painting and hopefully finishing another image of the Resurrection flowers that always seem to poke their heads out of the ground and bloom on her birthday.

Resurrection Flowers
I painted this in 2012 when they bloomed for the first time. These lovely delicate perennial flowers seem to bloom every Sept 4th on Cami's birthday. The bulbs were a gift from my sister on the day of Cami's funeral. My grandson, Hunter, helped me plant them after the funeral services were over.
Resurrections flowers
This is an unfinished painting that I will finish today in honor of my sweet daughter.

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