I Remember Jancy

I first met Jancy Limpert back in 1970 when I was a senior in high school. At that time Jancy was attending Stanford University studying modern dance ala Martha Graham who was a pioneer in modern dance breaking away from ballet. Jancy introduced me to Jazz, and classical music and many other forms of art which enriched my life tremendously. Jancy also introduced me to one of my best life-long friends Tony Kramer who now teaches dance at Stanford. Jancy, Tony, and I used to have some great hangouts listening to Charlie Parker and Bartok. That was when we were young and immortal and life was one great adventure of exploring art. There is no doubt that those days were some of the most enjoyable of my life though it now seems a lifetime ago.

The worst part of growing old is losing your friends and three weeks ago Jancy succumbed to breast cancer. Unfortunately Jancy was into a religion that did not believe in modern medicine. A small lump was found on her breast 14 years ago which eventually grew to the size of a fist in recent years. She was in great pain near the end and her husband convinced Jancy to let a hospice nurse come to their home who gave her shots of morphine for the constant pain. I despise religion for many reasons and this just adds one more. No one knows if Jancy had begun treatments that she would have survived or not, we will never know, but many women do survive breast cancer. At this point there is not much use in dwelling on what might have been. These are sad days.

I remember Jancy as the beautiful young woman she was so many years ago and all the good times that friendship brings. How I miss those days of optimism and youthful friendships. Today the world seems a bleak and melancholy place and even more so now that Jancy is gone. I’ll never forget Jancy and will always remember her with love and great fondness. It is hard to believe that she is gone. I guess the lesson is that you should enjoy the good times while they last because they don’t last forever.