Hey,
that's no way to say
goodbye
Written by Hiro
You know my love goes with you as your love stays with me,
it's just the way it changes, like the shoreline and the sea,
--- Leonard Cohen ---
***
In April 2026, I received a text message from Danielle.
"Dearest Hiro.
I wanted to let you know my time is drawing closer. My health is very poor and my quality of life is deteriorating every day.
I wanted to thank you for your friendship and support and for looking after me so well over all these years. You have been a special person in my life.
John will let you know the details once I have gone.
Much love
D"
Danielle was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about a year ago. She didn't ask me to cut her hair off. The cancer was so aggressive that by the time I saw her in the salon, there wasn't much hair left. I trimmed it just around her ears.
I can't remember exactly when I started cutting her hair. It was in my early days at a salon in Ivanhoe. Close to 20 years, maybe.
She was a regular Saturday afternoon client.
She had thick, dark, straight hair and I cut it at a jawline bob. Quite often, when I was cutting her hair, Paige, a young stylist, stopped by me, studied the way I slightly graduated her bob and paid a compliment by saying "Wow, that's beautiful hair".
I would wink at Danielle in the mirror. She would smile back at me.
If you happened to walk past her, I'm certain you would have turned around and had another look at her. Dare I say, her bob had such a presence.
Just a week after her text, I got a message from her husband John, who also thanked me for looking after her hair for so long.
I refrain from writing his words here - it's so painful and I don't think it's appropriate. He mentioned that it was her decision to go.
Here in Victoria, the government passed Voluntary Assisted Dying Act in 2017.
I felt a tremendous sense of sadness on receiving the news of her passing, but at the same time, I was relieved that she was able to choose what she had thought the best way to live - and end - her life.
***
Her memorial service was held a month later but unfortunately a prior commitment prevented me from attending.
Still, I wanted to do something, so I decided to write a letter to her family and give them one of my paintings.
The difficulty was, choosing which painting would be appropriate for that occasion.
Then, I thought about Leonard Cohen's song. One of my all time favourites, particularly his live performance in London 2008.
I remembered a line that says something about a shoreline and sea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gx6s1ARfOk
Suddenly it occurred to me that I had quite a few plein air paintings depicting beach scenes. I scrolled my phone to choose the best one. It took me a while to actually find it in storage boxes.
It was painted in Portarlington almost three years ago, in October 2023.
I took the letter and the painting to the memorial's organiser a week before the event.
***
A couple of days after the memorial, I received a message from John thanking me for the gift. I returned the message and told him about the painting.
Immediately he came back to me saying,
"I'm not sure if you're aware of this, Hiro, but, when our kids were little, Danielle and I, and all my family used to spend every summer holiday in Portarlington. It's a very special place for us all.
She loved being there."
***
In Loving Memory of Danielle
For more than a decade, every 10 weeks, you came to the salon for a haircut.
As I often run behind, you waited for me, spending the time knitting.
I was amazed to see how quickly your hands moved, creating wonderful patterns.
As I sat behind you, I wondered if you actually needed a haircut. Your hair ALWAYS looked beautiful.
"I come to see you for a chat, Hiro", you used to quip.
We laughed a lot about small things in life. You had a great sense of humour. Also, you were very into art, particularly Italian Renaissance paintings.
And, you always talked about your gorgeous family, showing me photos on the phone.
You were very proud of them.
These are some of the fondest memories I treasure.
R.I.P.
Hiro
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