The inspiration for this piece is my friend and Leadership Oklahoma Class 30 classmate Claudia. Claudia left us way too soon and it’s completely impossible to capture everything about someone like her in one piece. At the heart of the piece is teal blue paper with white herons, pink flowers and gold highlights. She loved teal blue which is the color of open communication, clarity of thought truth and faith which are all things that remind me of her. The herons represent her gift of wisdom and judgement as well as make things happen even when she had little to work with, and even when the odds were against her.

 

Claudia was a wonderful friend with whom I spent a glorious year in Leadership Oklahoma. Claudia and I met the year before when I was in Leadership Norman and she was at the Capital to greet us as part of the Norman legislative delegation. We immediately became fast friends and would have wonderful conversations on the way to and from the sessions. She was always full of life and energy and was always passionate about doing things to help others either as a nurse or as a legislator.

 

I always knew that she was a wonderful wife and companion to her husband Jim through the many stories that they shared with us over dinner. She was also an incredible mother who loved, nurtured, pushed and was gleefully proud of her children.

 

The name of the piece comes from the Foo Fighters song “Times Like These” which was played at her memorial service. I still remember thinking how amazingly wonderful and appropriate it was to hear The Foo Fighters playing in a church for her because that song and line are totally Claudia.