Ode to...

My sweet Marya. Who died 3 years ago today. I am still reeling from the loss of her physical presence in my life. It breaks my heart that my daughter will never know her. The best I can do to honor her life is to try to teach my daughter the lessons Marya taught me. She was fiercely loyal, the quintessential kooky girl, always loving, never afraid to stand up for herself no matter what, strong, proud, beautiful, spiritual - the qualities that I would love for Z to adopt. The following is one of Mar's favorite quotes, it is from the CD jacket of Loreena McKennitt's "Book of Secrets"

• I wonder if one of the most important steps on our journey is the one in which we throw away the map. In jettisoning the grids and brambles of our own preconceptions, perhaps we are better able to find the real secrets of each place.......


• From all journeys, be they imaginative or geographic, the most important souvenirs to be collected are the reminders that people's lives are fortified by family and friends, by our ability to create our lives like creating a piece of art, and by our efforts to reconcile our material needs with the importance of our connections to each other.

Pictures from our first time spelunking (at Indian Oven, Millerton, NY 7/2/2000)



Me and Mar at her cabin (I'm on the right)



Yes, we are.
Marya with my nieces.
(you can click on the pictures to make them bigger).

Mar, I will light a candle for you today and listen to the Indigo Girls "Galelio". I miss you every day.