……………………….My Dear Dear Friends…………….On this New Year’s Day……a new year, a new life begins….For me, the start of this new year is very sad…..but I know my Jac is in my arms…..and will always be…….I can not express enough how much your words, prayers and beautiful poems have comforted me. I come to read your posts every day, and everyday, though I may be crying, and your messages may be difficult to read through my tears, I wipe them away and feel the love you all have for Jac and me………Many have said look for her signs…..I can tell you I have seen many. She told me she would come to me no matter what it takes……nothing would keep her away……….The other day as I sat in the wicker chair in Mom’s room, as I was about to write to Jac, not knowing how to begin….. I looked out the window. It was a gray day, and you couldn’t see where the water ended and the sky began…..it was all one………Out of nowhere two beautiful White Swans came swimming by! Two White Swans swimming in the Long Island Sound? I had never seen swans in the Sound before….. I knew Jac and her Mom came to visit me…..there was no doubt in my mind.. They lingered a while and then slowly glided away disappearing into the gray fog…………………
………………..At Jac’s service the Rev’d Key said to me “You always have to look at the horizon. You may not be able to see what is on the other side, but know Jac is there waiting for you”……………… …………………..I hold Jac, my Angel, very close to me, and know she is never far away………The pain and emptiness I feel now I know will take a very long time to be replaced with happiness, and joy, but when I look at a picture like the one above, of my beautiful Jac, my Angel…….I smile and remember……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………..My gratitude to all of you is endless…………..all I can say is I Love you all for all the Love you have shared with us………………………….Louis
Dear Louis,
Jac was a rare person. In addition to her stunning beauty and grace, she shared so much warmth with us fans on her Facebook page with her stories and memories. I hope some day you can gather her stories into a book.
Thinking of you, and the challenges of a new year without her physical presence, I remembered this poem:
THE GATE OF THE YEAR by Minnie Louise Haskins
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
You have no doubt seen it before. It was most famously read by King George VI in his 1939 Christmas broadcast, and I have found it a comfort in hard times.
You and Jac are in my prayers, and I send my condolences on your great loss,
Charlotte
I’m actually not familiar with it. Thank you for sending it to me. I’m having a very hard time without my Jac beside me.
Dear Louis,
On this snowy day I’m reminded of the photos you posted after the snowstorm on the Long Island Sound, and you and Jac clearing the snow off your cars. I hope you are comforted by all the good thoughts sent your way. I am proud to be one of such a large group of kind individuals. You are loved and supported by so many who share the burden of grief. I love to read the words and feel the collective hug from all of us. I share your sadness and shed tears for this beautiful woman whom I knew through this blog and the QVC forum. The internet can be a beautiful thing.
Blessings to you in 2018. You are not alone.
Mary
Dear Louis,
I love this pic of you and Jac. The recent pic of her on vacation is serenely beautiful, too.
There’s another one you posted that is my all-time favorite of you two, but especially Jac who looks absolutely radiant in every way possible. It was at a November, 2010 charity event. Jac is wearing a vintage Anne Klein sequined dress in lime green. I would so love to have you re-post that pic and maybe other pics from that evening. Heck, I, for one, would love to see more pics of Jac.
Posters: If you type the word “charity” in the search bar, the pic should come up. See how happy Louis and Jac look! I love Jac’s hair! And, OH, that dress! Notice Jac’s right hand finger touching Louis as if to say, “he’s mine!” A beautiful picture of a beautiful couple.
I wish you the very best in 2018, Louis.
Madame
Dear Madam….I remember that evening well, and Jac was by far the most beautiful woman in the room. The man to my right is Marty Krasner. He is the president and owner of the jewelry company that is responsible for the Linea Jewelry Collection……a true gentleman…..
Gorgeous. Today I was walking past the shoe department at Lord & Taylor and espied some lovely evening shoes. For some reason, my mind went to Jac, and I felt a clutch on my heart. I decided to think of her dressed in finery, with sparkling shoes, out there in the spiritual world. She was smiling.
I believe it…she looks simply stunning. I’m fascinated with that dress…just wondering out loud, but is it a sheath, is it fully sequined, is it short/long? I’m also amazed at how great that color looks on Jac; I don’t think many women can wear it!
Mr. Krasner makes some quality jewelry.
Keep a good thought.
Madame
Louis – just thinking of you loads today as i don – for the first time – my alabaster slacks, sweater top and leather jacket with the knit sleeves. i am feeling quite the fashion plate as i put on some turquoise jewelry. although not tall and statuesque like your lovely Jac, i feel that i will cut the fine figure, thanks to your tailoring and design. so you will be out and about today in Los Angeles. thank you for styling me today. thoughts and prayers headed your way…….
Dear Louis,
I know what it feels like to be married to the love of your life,your soulmate!! I can’t begin to imagine your pain having lost Jac.She is your angel now.She’s watching over you cheering you on. Be strong my friend.Do it for Jac!!
Please take all the time you need to grieve.It’s important that you go through the process at your own pace.But please know that I’m praying for you.All your fans are with you.When you’re ready we’ll be here.We aren’t going anywhere!!
God bless you!!
Louis,
The earthly loss of someone who has had such a profound impact in one’s life results in an upside down world that takes all the energy we have to face the next week, let alone looking into the next year. But…let me share a bit of sunshine that will eventually peak into your life.
I, too, have lost a love. As I look back, I now feel like the luckiest person in the world that God blessed me with someone to share many years with who gave me the kind of love many do not experience. I am a better person for it. The relationship changed me forever – in a good way. This love lives in my heart still after many years. I am grateful for those years and the memories and adventures we shared which are now the building blocks of how I live my life today. I seek and welcome and have found joy and happiness and I know with all certainty that the best way to honor that special love is by making the most of the days God is gifting to me. Yes, Louis, Jac will be with you always in ways yet to be imagined.
Lovely photo and thoughts. I knew there would be signs, but swans, WOW! It is such an honor that you have shared her and all of this wth us. Thank you so much. You have helped me tremendously in my own grieving this holiday. Love never dies.
xo
You’ve seen how much love we all have for you and Jac. but i’m delighted to see you will be on the air shortly. Looking forward to it.
Beryl
Love is all there is. This gift of the view of those swans floating past your window at just the moment when you so needed it is a transcendent one, and so spiritual and full of meaning that no one could doubt how it arrived, and must give you such comfort as well as hope in these dark days of both winter and your grief. I feel such happiness for you for this gift, as well as in the knowledge that the strength and depth of the love that you shared with Jaq will help you through these days of sadness. We, your QVC friends, Louis, will be here for you when the sun breaks through, once again.
April
Dear Louis,
You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Kathleen (maywoman)
Mr. Dell’ Olio,
I prayed for you today and I know God heard my prayer. I would like you to know that you and your lovely Jac were a class act. She was poised and polished and a great lady.
Try to gather strength knowing she is heaven waiting for you and one day you will be together.
Please read John 14 1-4
Dearest Louis,
This photo of you and Jac really says it all…two souls as one. The sighting of the two swans in an unlikely place has so much meaning–what an extraordinary gift from Jac. I believe our loved ones remain in our hearts and are always near us. My beloved parents passed on many years ago, but I and my grown children still smell my father’s cigar and my mother’s perfume, when we least expect it. I still find comfort in that all these years later. I imagine your messages from Jac in many forms will give you the same comfort and peace. You remain in our thoughts and hearts and I hope you feel all the love and support. Wishing you God’s blessings this coming year to ease your pain and rekindle a measure of joy in living with Jac forever by your side.
Thank you for your New Year’s Day message….and the accompanying beautiful portrait of you and your beautiful wife. It is a warm and loving photo.
May 2018 bring you some measure of comfort and peace. I understand life will never be the same, but know that you are surrounded by love.
Dear Louis,
What a glorious story and perfect photo of what true love looks like. Thanks so much for writing to us and sharing your journey. I too have read every post, amazed at the depth, beauty, eloquence and love of everyone who knows and cares about you and your beautiful swan, Jac. Keep writing, designing and being you. My admiration for you is boundless.
Karla
Dear Louis,
Thank you for sharing your New Year’s Day experience of the arrival of the Two White Swans. Your journey of love continues to encourage me.
All the best,
Ruth
Dear Louis,
The kindness, love and talent you and Jac have shared with me over the years transcends the internet. We have never met, yet we have. The imtimacy of your blog, giving us glimpses of your work and your wonderful life together has made my life glow a bit brighter, too. We step forward into a new year together…
Louis, so very happy Jac was able to make a visit~ how comforting for you and for her. She is the perfect Swan, amazing grace and elegance! Your winter will last longer than you wish but Spring will come for you at some point, not, just yet. Spray her perfume in the house, so you will have the smell of her and find solace in that. I am glad that you read this blog every day, it helps for you to know the impact you both had on the lives of your ladies and how much you both became part of our lives. You will find your way with Jac’s help and the rawness of her loss will dim in time. You will gather strength and comfort in the home you shared and created, it is your safe haven. Your lives are so interwoven, it’s hard to tell where you begin and Jac ends. My continued prayers for you. You are blessed because you are one of the few who know what it is to be loved for a lifetime. That love will help to sustain you. oxoxoxo Cat
Dear Louis, I was so happy to see your post along with the beautiful photo of you and Jac. I’ve found myself thinking a lot about both of you over the past couple of weeks, and I continue to offer my most heartfelt prayers to you both. Grief is such a personal thing – I hope you continue to find comfort in our posts to you and in the knowledge that so many truly care about you and Jac and hold you in our hearts.
Dear Louis,
Wishing you peace and tranquility for this new year.
God Bless…..
Chris
The Swans—they mate for life—what a beautiful sight and sign for you on this New Year.
Dear Louis, I pray that every day brings you a little more peace…
Sheila/Sheesh
Dear Louis,
Such an amazing picture. The beautifully contented look of love on Jac’s face, in your arms, one can almost hear her say, “This is my favorite place to be.” Thank you for sharing such intimate and personal thoughts, you are such a gift to this world, and I hope that you realize just how much you and your beautiful wife have touched so many lives.
Sincerely,
Cindy
I am so sorry for your loss. May God support you through this journey so you can find the peace you need. Your tribute to your beautiful Jac is a testament to the love you shared. She will be waiting with open arms for you to arrive.
God bless
Dearest Louis,
I am so glad you shared the swan viewing with us!
After my mom died, I was driving out the dirt road from the farm for the last time, and I saw a big brown tailed hawk leading me out. He followed the winding road , then swooped off when the paved road came in. Of course it was my mother.
Thankfully I’ve seen several hawks since then…and they all came just when I needed a touch from her.
I’m sure you’ll see more swans as time passes.
Please know I’ll keep you in my prayers. When I first heard of Jac’s death, I wanted to just hug you…but there is no way I could make that happen.
Jac was a wonderful woman with a wonderful air of peace about her.
May you heal in time…and it will take time. But I have faith in your heart and your faith…and I believe you will heal eventually.
You will be a different man, but still the Louis that so many of us know and love.
Please keep sharing your thoughts with us!
Good evening Louis,
I am so happy to find a post from you today. You are in my thoughts and prayers every day,
“ Next year I will decorate the tree for her” that truly touched my heart!
Jac’s love surrounds you… please take care and know you are in my thoughts and prayers.
Alicia
Dear Louis,
What a lovely photo of you both! Yes, Jac is looking after you. She will always be with you. I wish you a peaceful and blessed 2018.
Pam
What a beautiful photo…
I’ve been thinking of you and praying for you. May you find peace, comfort and more beautiful signs like the swans in the upcoming year.
I don’t know what else to say except that I so look forward to your posts and pictures. Sending hugs to you.
I am remembering the words of a friend who is an Anglican priest in the UK. He told me that our loved ones are still with us, the only difference is that we can’t see them. You will feel Jac’s presence close to you, Louis. And it will be unmistakable.
I was also very close to my mother, who was killed by a drunk driver when I was but 15. When we went shopping, the sales staff thought we were sisters. When we answered the phone, the caller couldn’t tell which of us was answering. She was an avid equestrienne, as am I, and we spent many happy hours riding together. She taught me how to communicate with these magnificent animals. Many, many years later I used to ride my beloved mare Portia on the 2,000 acre farm where I boarded her. When the two of us went out alone, I always stopped for a while in a grassy field to dismount and let Portia graze a bit. One day the unmistakable presence of my mother was there with us in that field, just Portia, my mother, and me. I could clearly feel her presence and her joy in being there. There are many other ties when I have felt my mother’s presence, but that one was one of the most profound. Love never ends.
You will also have those times, Louis, and they will be a great comfort and treasure for you. Love, Barbara
I am thinking of you every day, and always stop by here to see if you have a message. I am sending love and best wishes for a new year. Seems there are lots of tears through all of America for Jac.(((hugs)))
Glad to see this beautiful post today, Louis. I have been thinking about you often and told my husband to pray for you too. It’s my thing to deliver home cooked meals to help soothe life’s trials…if only that were possible in our cyber-neighborhood! And I do feel we have a neighborhood here anyway. I want to thank the Linea lady who recently posted Jac’s Ginger Cookies recipe. Louis, I will make these cookies regularly now and my husband and boys will know where the recipe came from. I don’t know if you realize how you both touch other people’s lives. Sometimes I just want to stay in my cozy, safe house too, as the cold, harsh winds of the world blow against my windows. Then I read all the lovely posts here and think of you and Jac’s pure kindness. Well, it reminds me that there is so much goodness out there too.
May you find peace and comfort this year.
That was me who posted the recipe. They are quite good.
Dear Louis —
Thank you for your lovely New Year’s Day post. Those swans were spiritual messengers sent to let you know Jac was visiting you. Swans are lovely representations of grace and beauty apropos of beautiful Jac. I have had similar visits in my life, like the cardinals that appear after my nephew Zack died at age 22 of a cardiac arrhythmia. Whenever I see a cardinal in my garden I say “hi Zack.” Or like the antherium flowers that appear after my mother in law — who spent time every year in Hawaii and loved antherium —died (“hi GiGi”). I hope you find peace in knowing that Jac’s spirit is with you. God bless, dear Louis.
With much love,
Ann / TourEiffel
Happy New Year Louis! Thank you for sharing the photo and your special moment with us. I’m sure that reading these messages must be heart-wrenching, yet overwhelmingly comforting to realize the magnitude at which you and Jac touched people. It helps comfort us as well,to know that you are having at least an occasional moment of brightness. Love and continued prayers from Pamela in the COLD,sunny south. P.S. been rocking the Linea these holidays.
Louis, I am with everyone else in sending love and prayers and wishes for peace to you. Please reach out to your friends through the blog if the days get dark in the next few months. I know I will be checking here often and I will be here for you! Trish
What a beautiful sign she has given you. I will continue to keep you both in my prayers.
I just want you to know that I have lifted you up in my prayers. What a beautiful picture! I know you miss Jac dearly, so I pray for your peace and comfort!
It has been many years since we worked together but I always remember your love for Jac and her for you. Your paean was one of the most beautiful pieces of heartfelt literary beauty that I ever read. You must never forget that for all those years that you and she shared a love that almost no one experiences in their lives. May those memories give you the uplifting feelings to get re-started in your life because knowing you both that is certainly how she would have wanted you to do.
I am sure that Jac is looking at you now and would want this News Year to be a New beginning.
Hi Louis on this first day of the New Year 2018,
The replies here are written so beautifully. It is good to know that there are those friends here who have written words of comfort to you.
I loved Jac yet never met her. Her beauty was so serene and calm. There seemed to be a glow around her of goodness and pure heart that emanated and radiated from her. So many perceived this.
I have no doubt that she has visited you and sent you a message of eternal love, friendship and protection.
May you find a peace in your soul as you recover.
Louis,
Every day since I read your beautiful tribute I have found my mind wandering to thoughts of you and Jac. I have fed my sadness with memories of your laughter, your travel stories, Jac’s modeling stories, videos of shows, and even just sitting in my closet filled with Linea.
I send prayers and thoughts of angels sitting on your shoulders to comfort you. I am touched by your experience with the swans. I hope you continue to feel comfortable sharing your thoughts with us and want to do whatever I can to be part of your healing. Even my sons and husband have visited the blog and are saddened. They know how much joy you have brought to me. Please know that you are much loved.
Susan
Dear Louis,
I love your message and I’m so very glad you saw the swans. Jac is with you all the time. I think about you each day and wish I could give a big hug. Just take every day one by one even if it means taking each minute one at a time. I hope our words will help you through your this new journey and continue to comfort you.
Much love… Bernadette
How great was that to see those 2 white swans on the Sound!
I want to share a story: that those we love manifest themselves in ways we can only begin to understand.
Many years ago my Grandfather passed, also of a cancer & on his birthday my Grandmother was at our home visiting us. My Dad always had bird feeders up for the winter. For some reason, they were still up in early May. Anyway, my Mother went to the kitchen window & said look outside to my Grandmother. There on the lawn were 6 white doves (not pigeons)! My Grandmother went to the window, watched them line up in a row & then they flew away never to return again.
We think it was a sign to my Grandmother that everything was alright with my Grandfather.
Jac will always be with you, in your heart, mind & soul.
Dearest Louis,
That photo is one of my favorites; you both look so serenely beautiful.
Boy, did you ever get a sign! Yours was platinum! Did you know that swans mate for life? After my dear husband passed, I purchased a pair of swan ornaments for our Christmas tree that I finally felt ready to set up a year after his death.
The Reverend Key gave you the “key” by telling you to look at the horizon. And, lo and behold, what appeared on the horizon but two swans, locked together for life and beyond by their bond of love.
Leave it to Jac — her gift to you was BIG.
With care and gentle thoughts of you and your loss,
Maria (Goldie76)
Yes, Jac loved the grace and beauty of swans. There is an inlet not far from us where there sometimes are a pair of swans or two. Every spring Jac would check if they were building a nest. When gosslings would come she was so happy. We too have Christmas ornaments with swans on them…….next year I will decorate the tree for her.
Her grace and beauty were quite a bit like that of a swan, Louis.
Dear Louis, l wish you peace and healing in the new year. May your broken heart begin to mend!
Sending love and good wishes,
Yvette
What a beautiful portrait of you and your beloved wife.
Thank you for sharing your words and your heart with us,your friends, at this most painful time. We are here to support your healing. These words are all from our hearts and meant to lift you up one hour, one day at a time.
What a beautiful sign from Jac and her Mommy- meant just for you.
Continuing to hold you and Jac’s spirit in prayer and love.
Louis that is truly beautiful and so true. There are signs that will comfort and make you smile and laugh out loud believe it or not. I see and embrace them all the time. I know our loved ones will never be far from us once they leave the temporary vessel they have used here on earth the spirit lives on eternally. You and Jac have been in my thoughts and prayers. I wish you a blessed, healthy and healing 2018.
Dear Louis,
What a beautiful sign – swans not only symbolize grace and elegance, but also nurturing and protection.
Physical death cannot end the great love you and Jac shared. And I believe this coming year will bring you the peace and comfort of knowing that your beloved Jac will never be far away from you. I’m wishing you a very blessed New Year.
dear Louis – so glad you are making your way forward with Jac’s spirit all around you. ecstatic to hear that you can remember…and smile all the while remembering and crying too. that’s our Louis. every day in every way. you are always in our thoughts and prayers………
Louis, I think of you and Jac everyday. I am praying for your strength in 2018. I was dressed in Linea the other night and when I went out the door I looked to the sky and said : this is for you Jac! It was my tribute to her. Please know how much we care about you both and always will….. This picture of the two of you is beautiful!
I was so hoping we would start this New Year with a post and lovely photo from you. You and Jac are never far from my mind. My hope is that the bad days will lessen, as the sweet memories continue.
I understand signs very well. I lost my Mommy (my best friend, my mentor). A swarm of beautiful, iridescent dragonflies swarmed to the sun room the day of her death (never had such an event like that). Her nurse explained the symbolism of the circle of life the dragonflies entailed. I see dragonflies often now and smile.
May you continue to be comforted and know that we care deeply. We’ll look forward to your messages as the healing continues.
My heart aches for you. Though I never met beautiful Jac, she kindly corresponded with me about favorite recipes, holiday traditions, and encouragement for my grandchild with special needs. My own words fail me, reaching across the vast chasm of your loss, so I share this in hope that it will convey some solace.
A Blessing for the New Year (Beannacht)
On the day when
The weight deadens
On your shoulders
And you stumble,
May the clay dance
To balance you.
And when your eyes
Freeze behind
The gray window
And the ghost of loss gets into you,
May a flock of colors,
Indigo, red, green and azure blue,
Come to awaken in you
A meadow of delight.
When the canvas frays
In the curragh of thought
And a stain of ocean
Blackens beneath you,
May there come across the waters
A path of yellow moonlight
To bring you safely home.
May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
May the clarity of light be yours,
May the fluency of the ocean be yours,
May the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
Wind work these words
Of love around you,
An invisible cloak
To mind your life.
— John O’Donohue, To Bless the Space Between Us
Wow! That is so beautiful!
Stunning piece of prose.
Thank you so much for sharing this–really helps me deal wth my losses this holiday season.
Just ordered the book. Thanks!
Thank you for starting off the new year by letting us hear from you. You have the comfort of knowing how many truly care. Having lived in Westport, CT, I know just the view you encountered. Your words are comforting, even as i grieve with you. As I previously wrote, I’m almost in the same situation, but take comfort seeing you write your feelings so elequently.. There is always a horizon. Blessings to you.
There is beauty and love all around us, but it takes a willingness to believe in good things to see them, which you surely possess. I was so glad to see this today. Your heart is open to love and to possibilities and surely Jac is with you and will always be. Soon it will be time to plant Jac’s favorite pansies. You are in my thoughts and my prayers, my friend and I wish you a blessed 2018.
Always remember you loved and are loved. That’s really all that matters. Be kind to yourself.
Dear Louis,
I wish you peace, love, and strength as you navigate to find the new normal in your life. There is no timetable, as we each grieve in our own way. And yes, the signs are there – as you witnessed by the two swans – and seem to come when our loved one knows we need it the most. I do not know how you feel, but I do know what you feel. You will find strength and purpose again, with your dear Jac guiding you.
rae
It warms my heart to hear that Jac has been sending you signs that she is near. Take comfort in her closeness. I pray for you daily and it’s nice to hear from you.
So Happy to see your post with that beautiful picture and the story of the two swans. May your life get easier as we enter the new year.
You are loved by so many of us.
Beryl
Dear Louis, how appropriate that your sign from Jac took the form of a beautiful swan. Even from heaven she reminds us of her grace and elegance. I wish you peace and comfort in this new year.
Ginny
Oh Louis, I love that picture of the two of you! You can see the love between you and Jac’s beautiful smile! How wonderful that you saw the 2 swans! Just amazing!
Happy New Year Louis. This is going to be a year that will have its tears but it will also have it’s smiles as you remember happy moments. Please know that Jac will always be with you as she is in your heart. Please take comfort from your friends here – we are all with you and you are loved by many people even though we have never met in person. Please remember Jac’s words and continue to reach out and live until it is your turn to return to her. She will be there every step of the way with you.
Laura L (Your travelling lady)
Dear Louis, Know that we are always thinking of you and Jac and that you both are in our prayers. I hope you will have some comfort in the coming days of the New Year. Take care of yourself. Blessings to you.
Louis, I was so happy to wake up and see your post today. You were blessed with a great love – it will see you through the difficult days ahead. One day there will be more smiles than tears when you think of your beloved Jac. I pray that day will come soon for you.
Dear Louis . . . “There is something strangely sacred in salt. It is in our tears & in the Sea.”
[Gibraun]
I share in your grief, saddness, & tears. I will always have a smile on my face with love & gratitude in my heart in memory of my sweet friend, Jac. You are in my prayers Dear Louis as your Universe continues to shift. Much love, your friend, Pamela
Good morning Louis,
Thinking of you and praying for you as we enter into this new year.
This is a beautiful photo of your beloved Jac and you together….always.
My husband always asks for you.
Elaine and Dan
I was hoping you would post today. My thoughts have been with you and your beloved Jac. I too always look for signs from those who have gone before, and it always comforts me. Know that you both have touched and enriched many lives. Wishing you a blessed 2018. I will keep you both in my thoughts.