In 133 days, I'll be back on campus at my alma-mater at an extra special homecoming as Lebanon Valley College continues celebrating its 150th birthday. In honor of that countdown, here's memory #133: IN MEMORIAM: Maria (Mria) Fenty [insert version of infinity sign here].
Continuing my mini-set of "in memoriam"s for Memorial Day weekend, Maria/Mria was my orientation leader (she a senior and me a freshperson). Then we started in on the letters, and, for me, the poetry that she wrote for me. It was a little heady being someone's muse back then, and our friendship was bumpy ... and mostly existed in words -- including the ones she wrote about how I confused her because "I had happy actions and sad eyes" ... which, come to think of it, should maybe be the title of my autobiography: 'Happy Actions and Sad Eyes'.
My last memory of Maria/Mria (I feel certain she dropped the first 'a' at some point) was when she surprised me with a baked-from-scratch birthday cake at the beginning of the second semester when I finally turned 18 ... and I was shocked to read that she passed away from an infection she got whilst doing a service mission in Africa years later.
Oh to have been able to reconnect with you again on the Facebook ... at least I still have the poetry.
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