More than friends, less than lovers
My longtime close friend Gael lost her battle with cancer on Sunday.
Gael and I first met during the 70s in Austin, where we worked together briefly. As most who met Gael, we became friends forever. To say Gael was unique would be a vast understatement. Philosopher, musician, or poet could all be used to describe her, but none really do her justice. Many of you may remember me telling the stories of some of her life/adventures and of her friends. I think you had to actually know her to believe some of the stories, but after meeting, you would have had no doubt they were true. I remember laughing until there were tears in my eyes on numerous occasions. Many of the stories, I probably shouldn’t put in writing here, but catch up with me sometime. She had true life adventures and had this wonderfully carefree attitude towards life. Most of us would have to live to be about 300 to pack the amount of living she had in slightly less than 60 years.
In recent years she wrote an online column for texasescapes.com. Her off the wall insights were frequently right on. I can easily imagine a smile appearing on her face as she titled her last column, abut a month ago, “Circling the Drain”
Gael moved to Comfort, TX and became the town barber around 1980. With the help of friends she built a wonderful little home on a few acres of the Hill country. For a time she lived there with no electricity. She had natural water pressure from the springs in the hill, a wagon wheel chandelier with candles which lowered from the ceiling and a gas powered refrigerator. It is an amazingly quiet, peaceful and beautiful place. Maybe not so quiet, Gael and friends were never silent for long. I used to think of her as a true earth mother, but I had to stand just out of her reach when referring to her as an aging earth mother.
Although we saw each other rarely in recent years, every time we talked or met it was like old times. On my birthday a few years ago she wrote a poem for me, partly in Spanish. I have missed placed it and will post when I run across it again. The title of the poem was “A Little Less Than Lovers, A Little More Than Friends”. Miss you Gael.....
Gael Montana 1949 – 2009, rest in peace.
Gael and I first met during the 70s in Austin, where we worked together briefly. As most who met Gael, we became friends forever. To say Gael was unique would be a vast understatement. Philosopher, musician, or poet could all be used to describe her, but none really do her justice. Many of you may remember me telling the stories of some of her life/adventures and of her friends. I think you had to actually know her to believe some of the stories, but after meeting, you would have had no doubt they were true. I remember laughing until there were tears in my eyes on numerous occasions. Many of the stories, I probably shouldn’t put in writing here, but catch up with me sometime. She had true life adventures and had this wonderfully carefree attitude towards life. Most of us would have to live to be about 300 to pack the amount of living she had in slightly less than 60 years.
In recent years she wrote an online column for texasescapes.com. Her off the wall insights were frequently right on. I can easily imagine a smile appearing on her face as she titled her last column, abut a month ago, “Circling the Drain”
Gael moved to Comfort, TX and became the town barber around 1980. With the help of friends she built a wonderful little home on a few acres of the Hill country. For a time she lived there with no electricity. She had natural water pressure from the springs in the hill, a wagon wheel chandelier with candles which lowered from the ceiling and a gas powered refrigerator. It is an amazingly quiet, peaceful and beautiful place. Maybe not so quiet, Gael and friends were never silent for long. I used to think of her as a true earth mother, but I had to stand just out of her reach when referring to her as an aging earth mother.
Although we saw each other rarely in recent years, every time we talked or met it was like old times. On my birthday a few years ago she wrote a poem for me, partly in Spanish. I have missed placed it and will post when I run across it again. The title of the poem was “A Little Less Than Lovers, A Little More Than Friends”. Miss you Gael.....
Gael Montana 1949 – 2009, rest in peace.
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