By Eleanor Kazdan, May 21, 2020 — My best friend died thirty years ago — Kathy. And another friend (we were like a little threesome) to help with her grief, painted this picture of Kathy. And a few years ago, she gave it to me. She said, “I’ve had this long enough, I want you to have it.” I had to smuggle it across the border because she lives in Toronto.
The border crossing didn’t even ask me anything about the painting. They said, “Do you have any fresh fruits or vegetables?” I had a whole story about the painting and we were nervous; are they going to ask us how much it’s worth? They didn’t even notice. I felt like saying, “Excuse me. I have a bubble-wrapped huge painting in the back of the car and you’re asking me about fruits and vegetables. Anyway, it is kind of an heirloom.
