i feel incredibly honoured to call jenelle duncan my friend,
a deep friendship I will always treasure.
she was one of those rare people;
truly beautiful inside and out.
our friendship began when I was about 10.
we had neighbouring caravans during summer.
particularly in the next few years,
our families shared holidays, trips up to our farm;
motorbike riding, tractor rides, picnics in the bush,
horseriding, tadpoling, mushrooming.
when I moved to Melbourne in 1995,
jenelle + paul generously welcomed me into their hearts and home,
including me in their famous monday night family dinners,
their church, their friends, and even their basketball teams.
and when I started seeing stuart,
they extended that warm friendship to include him,
making us both feel so loved and accepted as a couple.
after their return some years later from the philippines,
i was thrilled she lived around the corner from us.
she would drop in for a coffee and a chat if she was driving past.
or kind of driving past.
or just somewhere in the general vicinity.
any excuse was enough for us, really!
we shared life together;
our troubles and our joys,
swapping advice and swapping recipes,
sharing meals and sharing many great times.
jenelle had a playful and cheeky nature,
always up for some fun and laughs.
i particularly treasure her love for my children,
especially when they were babies.
she couldn’t wait to get her hands on them as soon as they were born,
pulling funny faces at them to engage and connect.
she taught me how to get to their level and
to simply enjoy them.
she was a very thoughtful person.
her handwritten notes and cards were carefully considered and full of encouragement.
jenelle’s deep empathy and attentiveness to the needs of others
in the midst of her own trials was incredible.
she wanted to make her relationships meaningful.
she always had time to ask how I was travelling,
asking after my family and my friends,
my work and my interests.
in the last few years she was so very brave and courageous,
and mightily determined.
i was continually impressed and in awe of paul’s loving care
of his beloved wife and my dear friend.
as you know, I like designing and making my own clothes.
jenelle was always very encouraging of my efforts and
generous enough to even wear some of them!
she often made comments along the lines of “I think I should get a hobby”.
well, I don’t think she needed a hobby.
her hobby was People.
and she practiced her art to an exceptionally high standard.
i am proud to have witnessed the beautiful life tapestry she created.
oh, my jenelly.
i am going to miss you so very, very much.
i have a huge jenelle-shaped hole in my life.
know of our love + support
for paul + your three beautiful children.
too soon, my sweet.