I’ve known Rowena since the early 90’s when we trained in psychotherapy together.
I fell in love with her quiet, thoughtful, ever generous self right from the beginning:  a gentle and safe   heart if there ever was one. I could see more then and can still picture her shy smile.
I was so impressed by Rowena’s quiet courage in building a new life for herself in Bristol, A single woman of a certain age starting out again was really inspiring and I had some lovely visits with her there.
I still have a vivid memory of an emormous tub of silver leaves and the palest blue petunias in her back garden which took my breath away, and which I’ve tried to recreate without success ever since!  I also remember flooding her kitchen by using a hose attachment on her bathroom taps to wash my hair! She took it all in her stride of course.  She had a real talent for knowing what was really important and what wasn’t.
When she moved to Cornwall some years later I wasincredibly impressed by her courage and quiet conviction that this was where she wanted to make her home and find her community. She did so just beautifully.  I remember a wonderful visit in the early days with my first guide dog. He was a large Labrador and watched with interest as I lay on her massage table being a willing guinea pig for Rowena trying out her Reiki treatment.
With both of us deeply in the zone he rather surprised us by suddenly landing four square on top of me, nose to nose with Rowena,  clearly wanting the care and attention he saw me getting. . there had been no warning, no scrabbling.  He must have just jumped clean into the air and landed!
I cannot descry   the mixture of shock and amusement in Rowena’s slightly soprano ”Oh!”.
We didn’t meet up very often but held each other dear and spoke only a few weeks ago.
I often  wear earrings bought from the shop she and her ex-husband ran and have in my consulting room still a wonderful African pot full of branches received from her decades ago.
She exists then, and always will do,  in many fond memories  in my mind and a much loved person in my heart.
My heart goes out to all of you close to her who must be missing her so much. I’m sorry I can’t be with you but  as the Quakers say, I’m holding you all in the light.
 
Annie Rimmer