Dear family and friends who may still be checking the blog....
David Mees and Mara's family want to thank each and everyone one of you who have written, called, sent gifts and thoughts to Mara and to us. We are comforted by your outporing of warm love, good advice and touching wishes.
Many of you are coming to all or parts of the Celebration of Mara's Life on November 16, 17 and 18, and we are very pleased that you will be with us. Other of you have wanted to come but for sundry good reasons cannot. You will be with us in spirit; we will miss you but understand.
For those who are coming we have a few suggestions that may be helpful.
FIRST -- If you are planning to attend either of our "at homes" on Friday or Saturday evening from 5 to 8 pm, the best way to get to 1910 S Street is by foot or by metro, but if you need to drive, you may sometimes find parking on the street, but there is paid parking nearby.
--- The closest parking is at 2001 S Street on the right immediately past Thai restaurant. Note: You must enter S street from Connecticut Avenue as it is one way at that point. This parking garage will also be open both for the "at homes" AND for the Memorial Ceremony at the Hilton on Sunday from around 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. We have paid for free parking for the first 20 people on Sunday, after that the cost is $8.00.
--- There is also paid parking for the "at Homes" in the Universal Garage that can be entered from Florida Avenue or from T street across from the Hilton. HOWEVER, these garages will not be opened on Sunday for the Memorial Celebration at the Hitlon.
SECOND -- All who want to join us Saturday, November 17, are invited to Rock Creek Foreign Service Cemetary for the interment ceremony, however, it is necessary for you to drive there. There is no other transportatio. It is also important to be sure that you are there between 11 and 11:15 am because it will be difficult to find the grave site with out directions. The Cemetery just the end of this week have temporarily had to move their office but we still recommend that people gather in their cars in the circle to the immediate right as they come in the cemetery gates. some one will be there to guide all present to the grave site at 11:15 am sharp! The ceremony will begin at 11:30 am sharp.
This has been a very numb period for all of us. It is still impossible to believe that Mara will not rush in from the Airport to join us for these celebrations.
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12 comments:
What a beautiful picture of Mara!!! What a wonderful picture! Thank you so much for putting it up for all of us who are so far away in body, and so close to you in spirit, all of us who won't soon run out of the habit of logging in on that blog. I hope Mara's soul is at peace!
I am ordering prints of pictures of Mara to make a big picture for my wall, so I can always look at her - in good times and bad times - the way I have always felt, the way she has always been - around.
Thank you for still sharing your feelings with us! May God bless you!
Love,
Zlatna
Dear Everyone,
Just wanted you to know that you are in our hearts and thoughts. This weekend will be demanding but we will be sending you love and grace.
In Jordan, there is a tradition of an azah, sort of like a three-day-long wake. One of our friends told us that he feels it is very sensible, as it provides loved ones the opportunity to grieve intensely, and that afterwards he has always found a measure of peace. The writer Annie Lamott, writing about the time after her closest friend died of cancer, talked about one of the gifts of grief is that, as you work your way through it, it opens you, and you can be more compassionate with others. In this case, this may be amplified, as Mara was so aware of others and had so much compassion. Maybe we can become more like her.
Hoping that this weekend brings you some measure of peace. Love, Jennifer, Matt, Radhika and Rhys
I'm still checking the blog, Zlatna's right it becomes a habit. Will be thinking of you all in DC. Gwen
Thank you for the beautiful picture of Mara! I have the blog set as my home page, and it was a joy to see her, so lovely and peaceful, when I went online this morning.
Laura
Dear Mara’s family,
November 14, 2007
I, my family and my friends are deeply saddened with Maras’s death.
I met Mara when we worked together on the difficult assessment of Montenegrin NGOs. Our mutual friend Vladan, who had met her as an Aspen fellow had already told me so many nice things about her that I almost did not believe him. He painted her as super hero of compassion, optimism and knowledge -almost a renaissance woman of nowadays. He was right. During that assessment in which we worked with couple of difficult personalities we bonded and created lasting friendship.
I was amazed with her ability to comprehend complicated Balkan tangle of hidden conflicts and to put them in a wider global context of the strife toward democracy. In Montenegro over phone she decided to purchase her new flat that later proudly showed it to me when I was working in DC as Montenegrin diplomat. It was in a way tough year for me because my wife Karen was working in Afghanistan and my friendship with Mara and Aimee Breslow helped me immensely to find my way through the DC labyrinth. I learned from Mara how illness can be discussed with optimism and fun, how it can be defeated and how to achieve eternal victory even illness overtake our bodies.
She was enthusiastic, wise; as she lived what we would we say in our country a second life. Third one she will live in us. We are so sad…
Nebojsa Cagorovic, Karen Gainer and our little Frances Marija
Dear All,
I've taken a great liberty. Inspired by Zlatna's beautiful photos of Mara in Bulgaria, I thought how wonderful it would be if we--especially we who cannot be at her memorial services--could post pictures of her, which many of us have from many points on the globe.
I've created a communal website where any of you can post photos, if you have them. The website is:
http://rememberingmara.blogspot.com/
I've created a yahoo email address to use as our communal blogger identity. I invite all you who have digital photos of beautiful Mara to post them on this website.
Your Blogger identity is: friend.mara@yahoo.com.
Your password is: galaty.
All you need to do is sign in with those ids and then upload your picture and any relevant commentary or explanation.
Henrietta Cosentino (aka Bunyeta)
I'm sorry, I gave the wrong password. The password you will need, to post on the Rememberingmara website, is: galaty100.
To Post on www.rememberingmara.blogspot.com
Sign in ID: friend.mara@yahoo.com
Password: galaty100
Thanks for the lovely picture!
see you tomorrow, love, Ems
p.s. Bunyeta: what a good idea!
I'll get in action next week.
Beautiful, so beautiful! Unforgettable, that's what you are!
Love you forever!
Zlatna
Dear Beautiful Mara's family,
I have never met you in person, but always generous and kind Mara introduced me to you all through pictures when we were together in Amman. As you well said,it feels impossible that she won't show up anytime..
I deeply apologize I cannot be with you in person these upcoming days, (I am in Saudi Arabia) but my complete heart and warmest thoughts are with you all and my dear friend David.
As everyone says, Mara was the most generous soul, and 3 days of mourning does not seem enough for this grief.. In my last visit to NYC, I stop by to see Mara, to give her a hug, never believing it will be the last hug, I had, as you all so much hope in the last treatment and her strong will to live. That day she finished her last chimio session. And exhausted as she was, she was just so concerned and supportive about my divorce'story!! That is our dear Mara, the most beautiful and generous soul.
Mi mas sincero abrazo to you all.
In my heart Ill be there with you tomorrow
(The picture is invisible to me in the blog, but I see you, I see you
love you Mara, I know you are around.)
Cecilia
Dear Carol and David (s),
Julia here from Istanbul. Even though I know I wrote this before, I thought I would reiterate--I would love to be there for this weekend to celebrate Mara's life, and believe me, we are all thinking intensely of you guys. Unfortunately, because of the distance involved, and that we are in the middle of the school year, we are not going to be able to make it. But I will be looking at my clocks here over the next 48 hours, and trying to imagine the steps of the weekend, and what you are all doing and saying. Love to you all, JULIA
Dear David, Mara's family and all dear-to-Mara people, gathered in sadness at Mara's home,
I wish I could be with you, but then I know I am, the way I have over the past two stressful months, ironically made beautiful by so much love and sharing!
Last night I got a mail from a friend (Lyubo Nickolov)Mara used to know through me, who is a Bulgarian poet, living and working in D.C. Last night he sent me this tiny poem, dedicated to Mara, which I translated and am sending to you now. Here goes:
"She's buried deep inside our aching souls,
Like wild bees' honey, hidden in the forest -
Not to be touched or dragged away, or stolen."
May Mara's soul rest in peace!
Be blessed all of you!
All my love, forever!
Zlatna
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