Farewell My Friend

On Sunday Nivedita left this world, on her journey to places we truly know nothing of.

She waged a fierce war with bone cancer, typical Nivedita style, pulling out all the stops, and trying every avenue of treatment she could unearth and maintaining a very positive attitude.

She figured prominently in my life in my early years in SF. She was my first real friend in CA. She lived life fully and with a heart that was warm and welcoming to all.

I met her the day she celebrated her 40th birthday. I was about 24. I had read, in Coming UP! (later to become the Bay Times) about a benefit 40th birthday party being held at Olive Oil's down on the wharf.

I had only been in SF about 4 months, and wanted to meet a woman that would have enough friends to throw such a bash at a big space like that and for it to be a fundraiser. I met her briefly that night. A true social butterfly, she was in high demand on her big day. She briefly told me about a "women's float" that she wanted to have built for the upcoming gay pride parade (well it was many months away) and invited me to be part of the float building team.

Well that was right up my alley, and a good way to meet chicks. I was, after all about 24, and always up for some fun. It didn't take long to click with Nivedita, or Laura aka Larry, who won the design competition for the float. I made a few other friends during those days working on that big styrofoam woman.

Nivedita was in law school and was a very active woman. We would go on group trips to women's weekend at the Russian River and we just hung out a lot. She used to have this cute little tiny doggette type dog that I would keep an eye on for her. When he went to pee, he would stand up on his 2 front legs with his back legs in the air, a doggie paw stand to pee. Funny little shit.

Anyway, Nivedita LIVED life, and I watched the way she went about the world and learned a great deal from her. She never met a stranger, or so it seemed. She was known and loved widely in the bay area.

She ended up moving up to Napa and our visits became limited to special events and so forth. You know how life gets on the treadmill. Good intentions and all that, but it becomes hard to bridge even that distance regularly.

Her impact on my life, however, is present every single day.

Nivedita my love, go forth on your new journey will all the warmth, love and gusto with which you lived this one.

You will always be a part of the woman I grew to be. Thank you, my dear friend and mentor in life.