As you may have seen in the comments on my last post, Uleen's passing was confirmed as I suspected it would be. There were two news articles posted today, although they did not release her name.
http://www.cftktv.com/node/962898http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_north/terracestandard/news/51238447.htmlNow this is where I get kind of mad. I realize many people did not know her or her character but there were a lot of people yesterday in Etsy chat who tried to make a conspiracy out of this. I realize that you can't know who is really behind a name on the internet, but as I said before I knew enough about Uleen and her family to believe it was truly her mother who was on her account informing us. I knew that she and her mother started the shop together so it was only natural that her mother would have access to the account information and was professional enough to come take care of her affairs. It pained me to think there were people who thought it was some elaborate joke or hoax. A few people offended her mother by asking some things they really should not have and I feel horrible for her and the rest of her family. There were others who then turned the events into a "what if" scenario and made the focus all about them. Comments such as "If I died no one would tell you and my listings would be up until they expired" is not an appropriate response to just hearing of another Etsian's passing. I was completely disgusted by this behavior, just as I was this moring when I saw people become forum police when another member tried to collect charitable donations for the family. People in general are very self-centered and some true colors are really shining through.
It has been very hard to bite my tongue on this one so I now write about it without any calling out just so I can release some of the anger and frustration and overwhelming sadness I am feeling. And lets not forget about the guilt. I feel guilty because I hadn't talked to Uleen as much as I normally do lately because my mom has been visiting. I didn't even know she was going rafting this past weekend. The last time I saw her in chat was on friday and she was upset about something but I wasn't sure about what because I kept getting distracted by my own life. The last real conversation we had was about my purchasing some logo stickers from her. Which brings me to another another regret, that I never bought the chinese animals and military ribbon designs from her. I had been putting it off until I had some more money but now I will never be able to get them and that makes me very sad. I would ask her mother if I could buy them but the timing isn't right and it seems very tacky. So I have nothing from her and that pains me. I would like to have something that she made to remind me of her. She was such a talented graphic artist and such a wonderful person. She was a great friend. I'll never forget her kindness, especially when I was facing a possible volcanic eruption from Mt.Redoubt. She offered her home to me even though she had never met me in person and I had a baby and two pugs to tote along if I came. That is the kind of gesture one cannot forget and I love her for it and the other gestures of kindness she gave to others as well as myself on a daily basis. The world is a much lonlier and sadder place without Uleen. She touched so many people without even knowing it. I will love her and miss her forever. I hope she is happy whereever she may have gone and again I say I hope to see her again someday in another time.
