I am terribly sad to report that the friend I have mentioned in my last two posts passed away last night. Evie Spodnik played several roles in my life, including childhood teacher and adult friend. She followed her passions with a drive and enthusiasm that moved mountains.
When I was in fourth grade, I was privileged to be one of a few students chosen to participate in the THINK group led by Mrs. Fitzpatrick (as she was then known). Our very first project was to build a turkey skeleton. She told me later that she’d gone to a farm and asked them to save a carcass for her – that’s her to a T… incredibly fun and resourceful. Building that skeleton was unlike anything I had done before or since. She was a creative teacher who made learning fun. Somewhere I have a picture of us standing proudly by our fully constructed turkey – I couldn’t find it today, but I’ll post it when I do.
As I became an adult, Evie (as I then knew her) became a personal friend. We shared a passion for delving deeply into the mysteries of our lives. During a time when we both were working to shed our skin and emerge into a new life, snakes populated our conversations. She returned from a trip to Mexico with a snake charm for me. Today I pulled it out and took comfort in wearing it as a remembrance.
Thankfully I have been surrounded with love and support from the moment I found out last night. I was on the phone with a friend last night when my mom called with the news. Our conversation lasted for hours as I weaved my way in and out of memories of Evie. His presence and support was a gift that knows no measure.
This morning, my friend Jen came to visit. We’d been planning to get together this weekend to go hiking and attend 4th of July festivities. Thank goodness for the timing – Jen was amazing today. We talked and laughed and cried all day long. We went up the Lonesome Lake trail, which busted my butt significantly more than it had two weeks ago. Then Jen reminded me that I was working on about two hours of sleep. Puzzle solved.
Jen and I enjoying the fireworks
The day ended with a wonderful swing band and a fireworks display in a nearby town. It was the perfect way to remember Evie. She would plan out the week of the 4th of July so she could attend as many fireworks shows as humanly possible. And then she watched with delight that was absolutely unparalleled in my experience – she would coo and squeal and moan with delight at every new color, shape, and pattern. Watching her watch fireworks was almost more fun than watching the show itself.
Here’s to you, Evie. I hope that this year you’re watching the fireworks from above, taking even more delight from a new perspective. I love you. I will miss you.
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The Miracle Journal » Celebrating Evie and teaching
July 4, 2011 at 10:05 PM (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[…] and teaching Miracles Add comments Last night was an amazing night. There was a remembrance for Evie Spodnik by her Sacred Circle Dance community. Over the course of the evening I think there were probably […]
The Miracle Journal » Declaration of Independence
July 10, 2011 at 8:17 PM (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[…] morning I went up and sat for a long time – thinking about my dad. Thinking about Evie. Thinking about my place in the world. Thinking about what it means to be safe and […]
The Miracle Journal » Seeing the Evidence
July 11, 2011 at 10:33 PM (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[…] is one newspaper interview I wish I’d never had to do – a reporter writing about Evie found me through The Miracle Journal. I wish there had never been cause to do it. And yet she […]
The Miracle Journal » The labyrinth
July 26, 2011 at 9:56 PM (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[…] first time I visited this labyrinth was about 10 years ago with my mother and Evie Spodnik. The three of us spent a wonderful afternoon there that lives very clearly in my […]
The Miracle Journal » Stretching
August 8, 2011 at 8:49 PM (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[…] moment for the last couple of months. That’s not a complaint – with the exception of Evie’s passing and the grief that came with it, this has been an exceptionally good time for me. The spectacular Tamilee Webb. I read in an […]
The Miracle Journal » What would Evie do?
September 8, 2011 at 11:51 PM (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[…] of you who are new readers, Evie is a dear friend who was killed a couple of months ago – you can read more here.) I realized with a flash of stunning clarity that if Evie had been on this trip, she would have […]
The Miracle Journal » The Big Reveal
October 6, 2011 at 10:30 AM (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[…] then another terrible thing happened. Two hours into that first phone conversation, I found out that Evie had died. There are no words to describe the next few hours. He stayed on the phone with me and seemed […]
The Miracle Journal » Perfect Poetry
October 20, 2011 at 10:12 PM (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[…] Poetry Miracles Add comments A few days after Evie’s death, MBE sent me a poem that was absolutely perfect in the moment. It is written by a poet and […]
Completion | The Miracle Journal
February 7, 2012 at 8:29 PM (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[…] Posted on February 7, 2012 by Leah Carey Yesterday afternoon I learned that the man who killed Evie passed away over the weekend. According to the attorney general, he died from complications of the […]
This isn’t supposed to happen here | The Miracle Journal
March 27, 2012 at 9:09 PM (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[…] is all so reminiscent of the horrors of last summer with Evie. Learning that something terrible had happened; the awful waiting to find out if she […]