Fair warning: I will be discussing death and loss. Take care.
Hello again, dear readers of art and viewers of words. It feels like a lifetime has passed since I last reached out to you. Indeed, one very special lifetime has passed. We lost my Dad, Dr. Joel Lerman, on July 1st. This summer has been spent with my family; crying for obvious reasons, laughing about little jokes my Dad left behind, learning how to live in a world that seems much dimmer without him.
Things have been hard. A veil of sadness shrouds everything. Yet like a fish darting across the stream, just below the surface, joy glimmers on occasion.
He loved fish.
Cricketsong by Gina Lerman. Watercolor. 2022.
He loved a lot: all kinds of animals, music, cooking, and pushing people’s buttons. He was hilarious. He was kind. He would often text me pictures of dead animals and surrealist paintings. We always had something to talk about.
Circle of Life by Joel Lerman. Photograph. 2019.
The knowledge that I can’t just call him anymore has finally settled into my bones. It’s heavy and it hurts.
July Diary by Gina Lerman. Sumi ink and watercolor. 2022.
I keep sleeping, fitfully; I keep dreaming, whole-heartedly. I keep waking up anyways. Slowly, slowly, tenderly… I keep drawing.
Double Rainbow by Joel Lerman. Photograph. 2019.
In honor of my Dad’s wishes, my sister set up a donation page where you can contribute to the David Lerman Memorial Scholarship. My brother David loved learning and was bound for Virginia Tech after high school. Every year since his passing, David’s scholarship awards high school students interested in math and science with $1,000.
Thank you for reading, truly. Go hug your people today!
Love, Lermy.