It's been 3 years since the love of my life, my husband, passed away from esophageal cancer on March 10th, 2022.
My husband and I ran Sagittarius Gallery together. He was the tech guy. He was so good with all of that, he automated everything to a point where he worked probably 15 minutes a day. I was, and still am, the artist. It's been so tough transitioning back, to doing it all alone. I started my business in 2003. In 2016 my husband quit his job and took over all of my financial stuff, the business side of everything, and all I had to do was paint.
I...we...were lucky.
I have spent a lot of time rebuilding...and in many cases building, a new life. It's been so hard not only losing my best friend -my partner - my...everything, but then realizing I had to then go back to doing everything we built for years together alone. There's something profoundly difficult to lose someone who was so much to you - not only your love, not only your partner, but legit, the other half of every single thing you've built. Halloween would have been our 15th wedding anniversary. November 2nd would have been our 18th year together. He was there when we were beyond broke, driving to my first gallery show in the Hamptons renting a car we couldn't afford to rent and feeling like he and i were the only people who understood us in a sea of cardigans wrapped around necks that we only thought existed in movies. And now my art is in TJ Maxx, Home Goods, and Marshalls and every dream we made together is finally happening a year after he passed.
There are absolutely things to be proud of. There's so much more on the horizon. I am still working my way through the ins and outs of this new life I'm forging. I had my first panic attack a month ago. Just as I have been, I am still doing the best I can. I appreciate everyone's support throughout the last year and a half, and beyond for the last 20 years.
~Aja
