2023, Fairfax County, VA, USA
Our last adventure together!
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I am grateful to have met you! Through your daughter, who is like a sister to me in the love and joy., I've learned about you. It was her perspective, her view of you, that I first encountered before meeting you in December 2022. I witnessed the last oasis of peace you enjoyed, perhaps akin to one you dreamed of as a child, which your wonderful daughter, with everyone's support, organized for you. On that December day in 2022, as we strolled through Washington D.C. for me to revisit the White House, I marveled at your energy. You shared with me the importance of being there for children as a parent, motivating them to learn until they become the architects of their own decisions and lives. I admired you once more last summer in 2023 as we walked through the zoo without you showing any signs of fatigue. I believe wherever you are, there is no more pain or suffering, and you are surrounded by books in your oasis.
It was an honor to know you, and I am forever grateful because you truly gave birth to my sister-Mo and I really love your Malia&Brooklyn!
Travel peacefully with angels.
Lidija
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I first met Elizabeth when I was taken to a Buddhist meeting at her house in spring 2005. We hit it off immediately and she was one of the reasons I continued to practice. We had many wonderful moments chanting (one-on-one and with the morning group that she held at her house for a time) and going to SGI meetings together. Through the years we shared our hopes, fears, and challenges, and loved talking about life and love and art, politics, and ideas, sharing books, and going to cultural events—particularly comedy and music. We also shared many good meals together (Tacubaya and La Mediteranee were favorites). Most importantly, we loved laughing together, irreverently and uproariously! I miss that tremendously. She was a treasured friend and I loved her.
Here are a few photos of her over the years—including the last photo I have of her, taken on her birthday in 2020 at the start of the pandemic. We were still social distancing at that time, so I dropped of birthday cake and ice cream and flowers and then serenaded her from the street with my mask on!
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I don’t remember when Elizabeth and I met. It was probably at a 12 step program. We attended many 12 step programs together. Elizabeth was a wonderful friend. I did not know her when she lived in Southern California. She told me many fascinating stories about her life there. She danced and howled in the back yard. I was given a glimpse into her early life. She shared numerous stories with me about her childhood. She was an adventurous, courageous beautiful soul. I spent time with her riding bikes. She would yell at the cars. She could swear like a sailor. She told me that was one of her gifts to her daughter (Mo) Maureen. We took walks in Tilden. She had a grateful game. We would go through the alphabet and correspond each letter to something we we were grateful for. She always came up with more to be grateful for than I could. She was grateful for life. She took me to movies. We were in Berkeley and there was a movie by Werner Herzog. I had never heard of him. We just popped into the movie and it was amazing. We also took Bart to see the Oscar shorts in San Francisco. We ran to the movie. I spent time on her Jin shin jitsu table. She was a healer. She took me along to Lake Tahoe to ski. She did not ski. She wanted me to have fun. I definitely had a ball. She shared her love of art. I took an art class from her. She was encouraging and helped me see that we could all make art. I loved to sit in her backyard and watch the birds. We would have a bite to eat and talk. There are so many beautiful memories of what we shared. I will miss her very much. I feel privileged that I was able to be a part of her life. We did talk once when she moved to DC. It was a wonderful conversation about her life. Her daughter took such good care of her. Mo brought in the chanting ladies, SGI members to help Elizabeth keep a semblance of her life in Berkely. I will miss you so much dear friend. I will think of your every time I say the serenity prayer. We would say it together when we were on the phone.
In response to "When was the last time you spent time with Elizabeth?"
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What I learned from Elizabeth was the wisdom of Alanon. How to let go with love. How to laugh at life and its difficulties. How to "tell on" shame. How much writing can help. So many more things ... I miss her terribly. She knew everything there was to know about me, and loved me anyway. Love. And I loved her so deeply.
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The year? Who knows. I was a kid traveling California with my mom meeting the important people in her life and I finally get to meet THE Elizabeth. My memories of those days with Elizabeth are filled with flowers, bongos, crazy houses, and vegan hotdogs. To new experiences, no matter the age.
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2023, Northern Virginia, VA, USA
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A group of her friends helped create her creative college assignment. We hung her large paintings of the Tarot major archana on trees as we walked up the mountainside of a tiny urban forest. We danced together in a clearing at the top. As we descended to collect the paintings we found that several were no longer there. Elizabeth didn't get angry. That someone wanted to have them was considered an essential part of the celebration. It was a magical experience.
She built a sweat lodge in her back yard for us to use together.
She let me use her poetry in a play and she created a dance to one of my poems which she performed in the play.
She was instrumental in my process of healing from childhood sexual abuse and a dear friend since the 1970's. Vashti Cherun
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