Thank You God For Making Me An Artist...

We'll look after him, Hal

Thank you, Hal, for giving us the opportunity to be a part of your journey and affording us the chance to say goodbye.
It has been an honor knowing you, my friend, for these past 8 years. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You gave us all enough encouragement and inspiration to last a lifetime.

How can it be that I will dread hearing from Kevin and look forward to meeting him all at the same time?

Harold,

Thanks for thinking of us with this message.

You've been an interesting caring friend. Your family has been very lucky in you.

Take care,

Dave

Thank you Hal, words escape me.

Hatold - you have inspired us all, not only with your great talent but your strength, wisdom and kindness as well. You will leave a hole that I am sure your son will be welcomed to fill.

I've read all of your posts Hal.

I never responded because anything that comes to mind seems woefully inadequate...

I have prayed and hoped that your cancer would disappear and I am sad that it is not going.

You have a beautiful talent Hal, thank you for sharing yourself with the world as an artist.

In the limited way I have known you here, it has been a pleasure.

I'll see you on the other side.

Hal, thank you and I am thankful for the privilege of knowing you over the years and your knowledge as an artist and reading all your post's. Thank you for sharing with us all your masterful works of art in progress and your personal life's journey. You have been blessed over the years with family, friends and all of us here at Fine Art America; You have inspired in us all the meaning of courage and strength and the will to continue our very own journey. Thank you for sharing the quality of your life over the years and with your son's participation your legency as an artist and spirit shall remain with us all long into the future. Thank You!!!

You're a beautiful spirit, Harold. Thank you for sharing your art and your life experience with us here. You are an inspiration.

You're a gentleman through and through, Harold.
My best to you, Sir.

Harold, I have admired your work and your attitude for a long time now. The legacy of your artwork will carry on and it is nice to hear that your son will administer your account here. Peace be with you.

Peace be with you and your family, Hal!

It has been an honour and a privilege to know you Hal and I will miss you.

I always waver between Hal and Harold but either way it has been an honor to "know" you here and will be a great joy to meet you "face to face" in that day the Lord calls both of us home. Since it seems your time is nearing I pray for a peaceful journey Homeward. Peace and comfort for everyday forward.

Harold, I am weeping as I type this. You encouraged me, and I admire your work and your courage so much. I lost my father and a sister to cancer. I hate God and I hate doctors that it still exists after all this time. Sorry but that's how I feel. Yet another terrible loss. Iam so sorry, Harold. I am so sorry.

I wish it wasn't so.
Harold, may a peace beyond understanding come onto you and your family during this time.

Harold,

Please know it has been an honor to know you through this forum.

I admire your strength, talent and love of family and friends. I have enjoyed your life stories, sense of humor and words of wisdom.

I wish you and your family peace as you prepare for your journey.

God bless you,
Janice

Harold, thanks for being here, you always inspired me. The way you handle your life -- and what may come after it -- is nothing but amazing.

I don't know how to properly express my feelings so I just want to second what Angelina wrote...

Thanks again. For all you did.

Harold, I am so sad to read your news.. I think it is safe to say you will not be forgotten here - for your amazing talent, your sense of humor, and your inspiring us to live each moment to the fullest. Thank you so much.

Bless you Harold. You are an amazing, talented and inspiring man. Wishing you peace and rest assured we will welcome your son and your art will live on but we will never forget you!

Harold, Thank you.....
You are an inspiration and though I don't "know" you, I feel I do.
I wish you and your loved ones peace in the days ahead.

Have been with you, Hal...still am. Let's catch up on a brilliant rainbow.............

Thank you Hal, for sharing your personal journey with so much courage, openness and generosity. You are not alone in this and you've made me feel that I am not alone. My thoughts are with you. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to wish you peace in the time you have left.

Find your peace.

We will meet again.

Dear Harold, I dont find words, but I just would like to give you a big hug now! I wish you a peaceful journey, bless you!

Dora

Wishing you a peaceful and wonderful journey onward, Hal.
Thank you for making this a more beautiful world!

Peace be with you and your family Hal.

I believe you have touched many with your art, Hal. I took a more in-depth tour of your portfolio and enjoyed every minute. Your legacy will live on, most assuredly. Love and peace be with you and your family.

Please post more if you still around.. If not, may your journey be amazing. Love and light.

Peace be with you Hal and thank you for passing your God given gifts through your son.

Harold this is the month in the church that we pray for the souls that have left this world. You have been on my prayer list and I wondered how you were doing.
God does hear our prayers but those prayers are not always answered in this life but in the next. We have the word of the Lord as St. Paul says that God through Jesus will wake us from our sleep.
You are inspiring from the testament of others following your posts.
God’s peace and love to you and your family.

Big hugs to you and your family. Your dignity is beautiful.

Don't know you Hal. For all the young men I've lost to war, (No offense meant to my sisters in arms, just haven't lost any) I've lost more to cancer. i know once the tiger is out of the cage - it's probably not going back in. You are right to prepare your friends and family. Don't know if you pray, I do. As they say, "There are no atheists in a foxhole." So I will pray for you and your loved ones. God bless you and yours.

Dear Harold,

I don't know the words to say, because I've never been where you are now. But I have experienced family and friends who have been through where you are at this season of your life.

As your thread title says, I too am thankful that God made you an artist. Your life and art has made a positive difference in this world, and you are ending it doing what you love.

But then, I wouldn't call this an end to your life, but rather a continuation. ... Your actions and words here remind me of a close friend (see quote below) who embraced death as a friend.

With all that you have accomplished, the world definitely knows that you existed and did your part.

Keeping you and your family in prayer,

Frank

“What I would like to leave behind is a simple prayer that each of you may find what I have found—God’s special gift to us all: the gift of peace. When we are at peace, we find the freedom to be most fully who we are, even in the worst of times. We let go of what is nonessential and embrace what is essential. We empty ourselves so that God may more fully work within us. And we become instruments in the hands of the Lord.”
― Joseph Bernardin, The Gift of Peace

http://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/01/magazine/death-as-a-friend.html

Made me cry! Bless you........

You don't know me Harold, but I feel as though I know you from reading your courageous entries here. Add me to the list of people you have touched, even in faraway New Zealand. You are an inspiration to us all on this forum. Your dignity and grace and your nobility of spirit will linger here long after you have stopped writing and creating. Peace.....

Bump

Marlene, I'm thinking about him and his family too, especially this week.

in my prayers every day

God Bless

Hal,
If you moved on to hospice, I know that you AND your family are being well taken care of....loving thoughts still coming your way.

Best wishes to you and your family.

Please take a moment, in the midst of the holiday flurry of activity, to send thought Hal's way.....

Hal, you and your family are certainly in my thoughts at this time.

How quickly one can forget (speaking strictly for myself) what the important things in life are..
sad that it takes reading of anothers' journey to bring it all back with *clarity*.

I am humbled....

God Bless, and God Speed Hal.

Every time I visit FAA, Hal, I think of you.

Hal, blessings to you and your family this holiday season.

Let us know, Hal, how you are

Just spoke to Janice, with Hal talking in the background

He wants me to call back tomorrow.

His butt is acting up today,

I'll give him all our love and laughter then.

Jokes welcomed

Just tell him to take care of his old butt and that we miss him dearly!

Good to hear from you Hal, I hope you are doing OK. I'm not ready for you to go yet although we will all go at some point and meet on the other side. I hope you and yours had a good Christmas.

Roger, please tell Hal he is still in our hearts!

Roger has a new thread open so I'm going to close this to keep all the latest news together and so Roger can pass all our love on in his phone call