Happy New Year, Lorri

Last day of the year. I was zooming along with my designated morning errands when Clara Parks of Knitter's Review put a roadblock in my path. She asked a new question in the KR forum - "what knitterly things make you particularly grateful...?" As I answered, I realized that the top of my list was the contact with people who share my love of knitting. I belong to two Etsy teams, two on-line forums, and a local knitting group that meets weekly. I correspond with a number of enthusiasts, some of whom raise sheep and provide supplies, others who are consumers like me. I thrive on this contact, and concidering it made me think of my best friend ever in this life, Lorri.

I met Lorri on the escalator in the main classroom building of Jefferson Medical College. We were freshman medical students, nearing the end of the year. Our class of 220 only had about 40 female students, but we hadn't officially met until that time. We were discussing the student talent show, which had featured some skits that were degrading and insulting to women. It was 1979 and I had found my first truly feminist friend.

Becoming close friends with Lorri taught me the wonderful difference in having female friends. We shared a number of interests, as well as many political and social views. In every situation, we had each other's backs. We taught and learned together, shared experiences, and planned our lives. Once Lorri was diagnosed with a brain tumor and I with lupus, we even contemplated our deaths.

Lorri died 14 years ago, just before computers became an integral part of personal life. We never exchanged email. She never joined an on-line discussion group or looked up patterns for a craft. I found myself mulling over that fact this morning, knowing that she would have rejoiced with the open sharing and international contacts produced by this new world of communication. Once again I feel the need to live my life better, appreciate this world more fully, make up for the absence of one who cannot participate because of leaving us prematurely.

Happy New Year, Lorri. Peace to us all.