Barbara Jean Clorinda Normandi Schreck

January 22, 1932 –July 13, 2011

A talented sharer of life's gifts, Barbara Schreck, or Pandora as we knew her, has passed into spirit on July 13th in her home in Montana. Her daughters Julie and Cathy brought her ashes to Salt Spring Island to be scattered around at her request . Stephen Glanville, co-founder of VHES and good friend of Pandora's, played Dust in the Wind on his guitar.

Pandora wrote beautiful haiku and painted rocks with inspirational sayings including our motto: “Every meeting of Persons can be an exchange of life's gifts” (see photo)

Here are two recent poems by Pandora (with thanks to her daughter Julie and Stephen who emailed them)

Magic years of youth

Before they said I could not

I believed I could

I touch my forehead, finding

It is not so vast a space

As I imagined

While in deepest pondering

Each day I am awed anew

By wondrous familiar scenes

How then could I ever leave

This magic island

It is not the depth

Of the abyss which transforms

But our intention

As feet of clay crumble

And dread myths dissolve

I am at last secure in the light

Of a divine presence

Drawn daily to the rhythm

Fearing the final dance

Yet helpless to resist

The cadence of surrender

 Directing the way

Returning voyage

Back to where I began

But yet not quite.