Wendy invited her lady friends to participate in a wish from her “bucket list”.  We laughed about this while Wendy was in hospital in Knysna and never would be have believed we would all do the crazy wish!

It was Wendy’s wish to swim naked in the sea.  From her sick bed, Wendy arranged for the hire of a ferry to take us up the Keurbooms to a little natural beach and there we shared in the happy madness of the naked-to-the-world swim.

Beautiful women who have shared some part of Wendy’s life both here in Plett and some from early Rhodesia days arrived at the ferry with cool boxes of delicious food and champagne.  All aboard and Wendy arrived with her daughter, Cheryl, her sisters and niece – plus a substantially large tank of oxygen.

“For she’s a jolly good fellow…” sung by all of us, teary eyed, seeing this beautiful lady bravely climb on board with us all.  Russel, our guide took us up river, about 7 kilometres into the pristine waters of this ancient place.

Wendy Brown – one of the most inspirational women I have had the pleasure of knowing.

Wendy’s book – Light on a Dark Canvas - http://www.lightonadarkcanvas.blogspot.com/ is pure inspiration and reading this incredible account of survival will bring to you the realization that Wendy is a truly remarkable Soul.

Today, 30th November, 2012 our art group met for our annual breakfast celebration and Wendy joined us in her words of inspiration as she lay in bed forcing each breath so that she could see her darling children one more time.  She sent this letter to us.

ART GROUP – WHAT I WOULD LOVE TO SHARE WITH YOU – by Wendy Brown

EPHESIANS 2v6: Now Glory be God who through his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of – infinitely beyond our highest prayers, dreams, thoughts or hopes.

Please all know that this is true for every one of you!  Please never think you can’t do something just because you don’t know how!

Angus Buchan:  If your dream isn’t so big that it can’t come true without God, it’s not big enough.

Everyone of us is unique with a unique contribution to make.  Much more important to God than our abilities is our availability.

Beethoven’s prayer – remember he went deaf – “Divine One, Thou lookest into my inmost soul, Thou knowest that love of man and desire to do good live therein.  O God, give me strength to conquer myself, nothing must chain my life”.

Wendy quoted this from memory on the work of Maurice Escher:  

“It was written in a book on Maurice Escher as a quotation at the top of that page in the same way I wrote quotations at the top of my chapters…”

“Tell us master, what is art?”

“Do you want to know what the bleating herd thinks of as art or what I think?”

“No master.  Tell us what you think.”

“When I see the path that a soul has wrought, that to me is art”.

Now why I love this so much is that technical abilities we can learn, but the path that a soul has wrought is ART – that’s what it is about.  That is what we can express uniqely that no one else in this world has the ability to express.  Accept the UNIQUE US!

It means that a three year old’s painting of wind in the trees is as valid as an art work as anything done by a professional – she has told HER TRUTH.

“This is the end of what I’ve needed to tell the art group” – Wendy Brown

Apologies for the poor sound of this recording - we were on the ferry with the wind and the sound of the motors, but what Wendy has to say about her children is so special.  Listen with headphones if necessary x