sunsets.(6/1996)
What do I remember most about Fawzia? Her smile of course, but also the way she made a song out of my name. Somehow this song represented me, and I will miss hearing her song.
I met Fawzia in Mobile, Alabama. She was going to be our new reference
librarian. I was the technical services librarian and didn't leave my office
very often as that was where my work was. I did meet Fawzia, and we were
quickly great friends. I later met George and it seemed like that summer was a “Merchant- Ivory summer”. We all enjoyed the films and discussing the films and the books the films were based on.
However, I was moving on to a job in Arkansas. Imagine my delight when a
short time later, Fawzia accepted a job in Arkansas as well. It was about 40
miles from my house, so we often toured the state, enjoying the beautiful
Ozark and Ouachita Mountains, or shopping trips to Little Rock. We went to
movies when possible. It was so nice to have her near, even as our jobs
seemed to give us less time and energy to do fun things.
Fawzia met all my immediate family when she went with me to my parent's 50th anniversary in Bossier City, Louisiana. She never met a stranger, and soon fit right in with the crowd (I have 3 brothers and a sister). One of the
pictures shows Fawzia at the stove working away.
This past summer, Fawzia and Roy spent the weekend with me. It felt so great to see her again - but also as if no time had lapsed as our friendship was still so strong. Had I known that I would not see her again, would we have just sat at my home and talked for those hours? And the answer would have to be no, as seeing the sights has always been part of our friendship. As was shopping and eating out.
through my decades of photos has revived memories of time spent with the
best of friends. This Arabian Proverb describes her so well because she always remembered the best about her friend in Arkansas:
"A friend is one to whom one may pour out all the contents of one's heart,
chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and
sift it, keep what is worth keeping and with a breath of kindness blow the
rest away."
Fawzia at my parent's 50th anniversary (11/1995)
Fawzia with my sister, Connie, at home in my folks' kitchen, always ready
to help out (11/1995)
Here we all are in my Russellville apartment. I have this dated for
1995 before George moved to Hong Kong.
One of our many trips to the brewery at Kelts, in Altus, Arkansas - wine
county is here (5/1996)
