Thursday, April 20, 2017
The first time I met Cherry in the late 70’s, I was dazzled. Many impressive people passed through the Tattered Cover where I was working, but she was truly dazzling -a young brilliant and beautiful redhead, a psychiatrist impeccably dressed, sophisticated, curious and funny. I was still missing NY very much and she definitely was a NY fix.
As the years went by both of our families became active participants in the Denver Reconstructionist Community and we shared many life cycle events together. The most memorable time was being with Cherry for her conversion ceremony to Judaism. For the mikvah ritual bath experience Idaho Springs Hot Springs was the location. There we sat, Cherry, Carol Levin and me in a steamy cave, quietly saying prayers when soon we were joined by a bus load of Japanese tourists and a motorcycle gang. We were the curiosity and we tried to explain what was going on. Cherry said I would dine out on that story for years.
She was adept at capturing the moment. I loved listening to her describe a painting, a film, a concert, a stirring place she had traveled to or some everyday things with her “boys”.
To paraphrase Virginia Woolf in To the Lighthouse:
What is the meaning of life? The great revelation may never have come. Instead there were daily miracles, illuminations, matches struck unexpectedly in the dark. Life stand still here.
Cherry held those moments.
With Love, Eileen & Peter Weiss
