Please indulge me this tribute to a dear friend who succumbed to cancer a year ago yesterday.
I struggled coming up with what to post this week and then I remembered one of the greatest things for me about being a crafter is the camaraderie, that feeling of fellowship over something as simple as a ball of yarn.
4-5 years ago I was looking for a group to share my love of crocheting with so I went to the app Meetup and found a group called West Ashley Purl's. At the time I lived in Moncks Corner and that was quite a trek going from Moncks Corner to West Ashley on Wednesday nights but I figured I would give it a go at least a couple of times to see how it went. I was welcomed with open arms even though I wasn't a knitter. It was a small group of ladies at the time but we had a great time. Shortly after I joined, this lady from Maine came by. She had found the group on Meetup as well. That lady was Marija and we couldn't have been more different. She was a librarian by trade, a vegan, an atheist and an animal lover. She crocheted and knit but mostly crocheted. For some reason we hit it off. Around the same time that Marija started coming so did Shawntel. Shawntel, Marija and I became instant friends from vastly different backgrounds but again our love for yarn brought us together. We dubbed ourselves the Hookers X3. lol
Marija was a traveler, she loved going someplace new and she loved her wine and beer. Her and Shawntel shared that love for libations and I would listen to them discuss the nuances and laugh at them. When my mom had her stroke and I moved in with her, Marija was always in my corner and my supporter. As I struggled making the transition from daughter to caregiver, I could always count on Marija to let me vent, cry, whatever I needed.
As I stated, Marija was a librarian by trade, she found her dream job working with the Charleston County Library system. She had just been there a few months before the tragedy of the Charleston Nine occurred and her boss, Mrs. Cynthia Hurd was one of the victims. When Marija started complaining of stomach pains we attributed it to the stress of carrying the load at the library after Cynthia's death. She went back and forth to the doctor before we got the horrible news. Her pain was caused by pancreatic cancer. She tried chemo and it helped for a bit but it became clear that it wasn't going to help avoid the inevitable and while it was prolonging her time with us, it wasn't the life she wanted to live. Marija's laugh, I can hear it even now, was a glorious thing. Our senses of humor was a dangerous thing when we got together.
I was so grateful that being a caregiver for my mom meant that I could also spend more time with Marija in her last days. Just a week prior to her death we sat on her back porch and she teased me because this non-nature lover recognized a few of the birds flitting around her backyard. I shared how good the bowl of beanie weenies I had the night before were and that prompted her to heat up a can for herself, sans hot dogs. When her decline came, it was mercifully quick. Just a week later I had to say see you later, dear friend. I am so grateful for the years we had together, talking yarn, life and anything in between. One of the things we looked forward to every year was Southeast Animal Fiber Fair (SAFF) at the end of October. One year Marija drove and that was the most harrowing trip. We stayed in a fellow member of Purls, cabin in the NC mountains. Let's just say coming down off that mountain in Marija's tiny car while she swerved to avoid hitting squirrels was a trip I won't soon forget. I just knew my tombstone was going to read "The squirrel lived". When we got home, we vowed that Marija wasn't allowed to drive EVER again!!
We have several groups that meet throughout the Lowcountry, a list of them is on the sidebar here if you are on the web version. Please take the time this summer to attend at least one group in Marija's honor. Don't let the drive deter you from taking the time. You just never know who you will meet and form a bond with over a simple ball of yarn.
Rest in peace Marija, it was truly an honor to be a member of the Hookers X3 with you!!
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It seemed that May is a busy month for the FKG members so our May field trip has been pushed back to the first weekend in June. June 2nd to be exact. We are heading to Savannah and Unwind yarn store. I am especially excited about this month guild meeting as I will teaching a class on hand dyeing yarn. The class space is limited as we only have a 2 hour window and we have already reached capacity.
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