Some people teach us how to live; some teach us how to die. Some teach us both. And some just die too soon.
I hadn't opened LinkedIn in almost a week, and when I did, the lead post on my wall was one from my college alma mater. You may have heard of the tragic fire in the Bronx (a borough of New York City) that killed 17 people in an apartment house. Well, one of them was a sophomore at that college, a young woman who was planning to become a social workers. Her name was Sera Janneh.
The rest of her family made it out; she got separated in the terrible smoke and zero visibility the tenants faced when they tried to flee. One of her sisters was in critical condition the last I knew, her lungs damaged from smoke inhalation.
Every parent's worst nightmare is losing a child That's not how things are supposed to work. And some of these families lost several members, all from smoke inhalation. Nightmarish.
Gone too soon. Then, there's other tragedies.
Bonnie was a Facebook friend and fellow blogger. She was from Hawaii and lived in Brooklyn. An avid sea kayaker and lover of the ocean, she expanded my horizons and showed me a side of New York City that I had never experienced in my 21 years of growing up in the City. She was also a participant in the boat flotilla of September 11, 2001 which transported stranded workers from lower Manhattan back to New Jersey so they could get home.
I enjoyed Bonnie's photos of Brooklyn and her kayaking adventures. She belonged to a paddling club in Jamaica Bay and was a fearless kayaker. Her last job was with Scholastic, which must have been like heaven to a book lover like her (and me!)
Bonnie touched many lives in many ways. I had no idea how many lives until she started her final voyage Wednesday, January 12.
Social media has brought people together who otherwise never would have known each other. I don't remember when I discovered Bonnie but I am grateful I had the opportunity to experience a small slice of her adventures.
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| Yes, another pair of my socks. |
Bonnie battled breast cancer once before (in 2016). In March, 2020 it returned, just as COVID-19 hit New York City like a bomb. Bonnie knew that metastatic breast cancer wasn't curable, but the doctors at the Manhattan hospital where she was treated bought her as much time as they could under the circumstances. Bonnie remained upbeat on the outside all through the last almost two years of her life. In December, she started to post pictures and reminiscences of the past on her Facebook wall, but didn't reveal (at first) that she had started home hospice care.
On January 8, she posted her last picture - a view of a group of kayakers in front of her, as they embarked on a voyage.
Rest in peace, Sera (and the others who died in the Bronx fire) and Bonnie.
...that was a tragedy.
ReplyDeleteIt truly was.
DeleteI'm so sorry to hear about both! I worked at Fordham University in the early 90s, and that section of the Bronx brings up strong (fond) memories for me. And I'm almost positive I've commented on Bonnie's blogs before -- I remember thinking how COOL it would be to tackle NYC in that way! RIP to both of them. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in the Bronx. Surprisingly, I never have been on the Fordham campus, or, for that matter, in Little Italy. My loss. Guess I spent too much of my childhood Saturdays on Fordham Rd between the Grand Concourse and Webster Ave and all the shopping that was there.
DeleteYes, gone too soon. Bonnie was all over my feed, too, and we'd had a few messenger chats in days gone by. Sad. Carol C.
ReplyDeleteYes, sad.
DeleteI can't even imagine losing a child. That fire broke my heart. I can't imagine their terror to wake up and find their home burning. My father was a fireman and he used to come home some nights and just cry. We always knew they had lost a child. It broke his heart.
ReplyDeleteI can't even imagine what those families in the Bronx fire went through and the memories the surviving children will have. One of my husband's uncles was a fireman in White Plains, NY, and I can't even imagine what he experienced on the job, either.
DeleteIt just breaks my heart when people cross over far too soon. Lives not fulfilled. Bonnie was my friend. She was going to be my guide when I got to New York. I'm just SO sad!
ReplyDeleteSo am I. She would have been an excellent guide, too.
DeleteI don't know Sera, but her story is heartbreaking. I did know Bonnie through blogging and I was so incredibly sad to hear of her death.
ReplyDeleteSo was I. Tragic.
DeleteI'm so sorry. Very sad.
ReplyDeleteYes. Sad on so many levels, these two stories.
DeleteThe Bronx fire has dominated the news here. So sad.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering about Bonnie. I followed her blog but didn’t know her on Facebook. I am sad to hear she passed.
Alana,
ReplyDeleteWhat a sad post! I did hear about the Bronx fire. What a tragedy!! Also very sad to hear about your bloggy friend, Bonnie. It's nice that you got to know her. The Internet, especially the blogging platform has brought people together in a special way. People we would not have otherwise met had it not been for this social media outlet. I pray for all the families affected by the Bronx fire and I pray for Bonnie's family. May these ladies rest in peace and may those who loved them best find comfort in friends, family, and their faith. Sending hugs to you, my dear!