In Memory Of Inga Lorig

You know when something happens that rips out your heart? Tragic, confused, your tears won’t stop pouring down your face? All in a span of seconds, this just happened to me. I was playing with my baby and decided to step away for a moment to check my email. And there I found the most painful news. One of my students and a fellow blogger, Inga Lorig from Glomery Lane, passed away yesterday — cancer took her from us. I’ve been blogging for 9 years and never had to say goodbye to a blogger, it’s a first for me, and truly heartbreaking.

Too young to die – too full of life… love for flowers, love for beauty, too beautiful herself inside and out to have to exit this planet so suddenly. She was here and gone. Just like that. A beautiful, precious life vanished. And why? Why Inga. Why why why.

After having a baby and witnessing the beginning of things, I’ve developed a deeper appreciation for the way we enter this world. Seeing your helpless baby laying on a hospital table with a single cord connecting you is the single most intimate moment I’d ever experienced. Life altering. Inga’s mother must remember her birth and her wish that Inga would have a beautiful life laid out before her just as I wished the same for Aidan upon his arrival. Wanting to always be there for her, protect her as only a mother wants to do, to love her forever – all feelings that I have for my own little son. To think of Inga’s mom right now pains my heart. My prayers are for her – I believe the person who has to suffer the greatest of all I think, along with Inga’s other family members, friends and those whom she so lovingly touched throughout her life –  her gentleness, kindness and beauty. Inga had a heart of gold.

I’ll always remember the gift she gave me nearly two years ago when she came to my home for a workshop – a beautiful crocus in a glass vase with a tiny white feather with glitter that I’ve kept and have displayed on my wall ever since. Inga spent the weekend in my home along with other very dear students – Gudy from Eclectic Trends, Louisa from West Egg, Nic at Luzia Pimpinella, Susanne from Liesschen Heiratet, Sabine at freundts, Magda from Nice & Nicer, Geraldine from little big bell, Orit from tweelingen design, Rincy from a little bird, Sabina at Gefiltzes, Holly at Avenue Lifestyle, Elisa at 7thingsfor7days, Brigitte from the little star blog, Louise at 30′s magazine, Dani at and cute, Jana at cookies for my soul and of course, dear Steffi from Ohhh Mhhh who taught along with me and who also adored Inga like the rest of us.

During our weekend together, we laughed and shared and hugged and Steffi made a beautiful video to document it all. We went shopping together at the Christmas market. We ate cake pops shaped like Twitter birds. We froze together eating yummy Christmas foods. We shopped little boutiques. We photographed everything along the way. You can see Inga throughout Steffi’s video here. This group of women grew to become a very close circle of friends and I’ve kept up with most of them ever since. There is something truly so intimate about inviting people to your home for a weekend to learn, share meals, and support one another in that special “girl power” way which is truly real and magical – not fake and stupid – and that weekend was truly one of the best weekends of my career. And with Inga gone from our girl power circle, it almost feels like all of us have to do even better as people, as women, to show her that we value life and her friendship – and prove to her that we appreciate what we have – because we are still alive and though that can change at any moment, we owe it to Inga now to be strong and courageous and value everything we have and to stop worrying about what we don’t have. Because life is precious and you don’t always “get” that until someone you love is transported to another place and you know little about when and how you’ll see them again. But you just hope that you will. And you hope that when you do, you have good stories to catch up on and plenty of laughter.

I’m not sure what else to write in this space. But I want to extend a warm hug to Inga’s family, to the other dear students mentioned above who also love Inga, and to remind everyone reading to be content – to be happy with what you have – and to cherish your life because I know Inga would do anything to be with us here again.