She’s dead? She’s not dead.
***
I’m trying to understand the death of a very dear friend. Maryam Afshar. She lived in Puerto Rico with her young son Darius — and a pack of adopted dogs. She was the yearbook editor at a local school. We became email friends several years ago when she was battling breast cancer. She won that battle. But earlier this year doctors discovered tumors in her brain. She didn’t show any fear. She was always hopeful and full of life.
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After undergoing radiation:
from: Maryam Afshar <...@gmail.com>
to: Jahanshah Javid
date: Sun, Mar 28, 2010 at 5:56 PM
Yesterday my hair started falling off. I mean falling off! This morning (thanks to my friend who had warned me about it) I’d say half of it was a goner in the shower! It was really freaky! I had planned a nice brunch out, so I put my baseball cap on and had a delightful brunch with a bottle of Veuve-Cliquot, came home, had more visitors, and kept brooming my floor! When everyone left, I sent Darius to his Dad’s house the last two days, and called my neighbour who has one of those machines to come and shave my head 🙂 I got tired of brooming it off the floor and it was putting me in a bad mood.
I look weird 🙂
M.
***
Last words:
from: Maryam Afshar <...@gmail.com>
to: Jahanshah Javid
date: Sat, Jun 26, 2010 at 5:44 AM
subject Re: Hey you
Salam JJ,
Finally I have time to breathe a little and relax. My yearbook was finished on time even though I’ve started a very aggressive chemo treatment. Knocks me out for days…
***
Today a mutual friend emailed to say Maryam had died. I don’t understand. What does that mean?
***
I never met Maryam. I never heard her voice. Yet I felt she was one of my closest and dearest friends. I will always cherish memories of her kindness, wisdom and humanity.
She’s not dead.
