Remembering a friend today. Dr. Jeannine Hirtle was an ardent supporter of CLS’s kind of work, and was my friend and colleague at APSU. I will never forget our first real conversation during which we were increasingly astounded to discover mutual interests in the Enneagram, Rome, Catholicism, monastic spirituality, meditation, contemplative living, and Thomas Merton. Our spiritual bond made us fast friends.
Jeannine taught at the University of Hawaii at Hilo on the Big Island before coming to APSU. Last summer, we both had opportunities to travel to Hawaii to present at a conference (I blogged about her research here). I stayed in Honolulu. Jeannine, though, returned to her mystical center – the Kona side of the Big Island – and stayed with one of her daughter’s family (which includes four grandsons who she adored, and who felt the same way about her) who still live there.
Early Sunday morning, the day after I arrived in Honolulu, I
jumped an interisland flight to spend the day with her. She picked me up in her little blue car,
windows down to catch the breeze, and we sped around Kona all day, stopping for
Mass,
hiking Pololu
Valley, and finally tracking down the Painted Church (after a U-turn or
two).
I snapped this picture to text to
Gary, trying to catch the amazing beauty of the hills in the background. Instead, I captured Jeannine in full joy.
When I last saw her on this plane, five days ago, the cancer that had been in remission for years had ravaged her body. But I’ll always remember her like this; smiling big and laughing that infectious laugh.
Mahalo, Jeannine. Until we meet again.
-Tom
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