For those of you who might have missed the sad news, our dear Blogging from A to Z Challenge Team member, Tina Downey, left this earthly life this past Saturday August 23rd. Many of you have already posted tributes to Tina on your own blogs. They have been moving heartfelt tributes that show how many lives this wonderful lady touched. And now I am faced with a page to fill with words for Tina.
What can I say in a time like this? Since hearing the news about Tina on Sunday morning, my mind has been a muddle of whys and what next. Tuesday morning in the wee early hours I awoke from my dreams as words formed in my head. This is what I would say: beautiful words that would change the world. With my mind roiling, the words dissipated into empty inadequacy. How can my words truly express what I feel--what Tina meant to me? To all of us?
Tina was a driving force behind the A to Z Team. To many she was a behind the scenes figure of the Challenge, but to those who were most aware of the goings on in the A to Z community, Tina was a dynamo who made things go.
She called herself "Schedule Woman" because she made sure posts were going up as they should on the A to Z Blog. All of us on the A to Z Team are well familiar with the fun and funny missives she would regularly send out to us. She'd scold, praise, and commiserate as the occasion called for. It was all done in the name of friendship and love. And she was loved back by everyone she touched with her communications.
I'm going to miss Tina in so many ways. Many of you will surely miss her as well. And if we who never actually encountered Tina in person miss her as much as we all do, then our loss must be mighty small in contrast to Tina's family and friends--those who were with her in the world beyond our virtual world of blogging and with her in her everyday world. In a way I envy those who were in that real world of family meals, gatherings of friends, and camping trip adventures. Then again, could I stand the pain of losing someone that close?
Tina, someday I hope we can actually meet face to face. Meet in a place beyond this small world where there are no more tears or loss or emptiness. You are gone for now, yet you fill my life and my memories. Despite your struggles with health you showed us all that Life Is Good. I believe that with all my heart. Life is good. I'll try to keep that as my motto too.
Thank you, Tina, for everything. I will miss you greatly.
If you have not yet done so, please visit Tina's blog Life Is Good to leave a message in her remembrance. You can also add your blog link to the list following this post if you have done or will be doing a tribute post in honor of Tina. Read below for more information.
In memory of Tina Downey, the A to Z Team is hosting a sunflower tribute on September 8, 2014 – Remembering Tina Downey.Prior to that date, purchase or plant a sunflower in her honor. (If you have to resort to plastic, that’s cool.) Take a photo of your sunflower and post in in her memory on Monday, September 8. Tina loved her sunflowers, and we want to splash the blogging world with sunflowers that day and honor a truly amazing woman who was friend and family to so many.You can sign up now or add your link when you post your sunflower.Please help us spread the word! Let’s brighten the Internet with sunflowers the way Tina brightened the lives of so many.
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What words can we come up with that adequately describe Tina?
ReplyDeleteWe will meet her one day in Heaven. And she'll have every scheduled and ready for us when we get there.
A beautiful tribute to Tina.
ReplyDeleteSo sad that such a good person and blogger is no longer with us. may she RIP.
Yvonne.
I keep being reduced to tears with everything everyone says in memory of our beloved friend.
ReplyDeleteJust gutted that she's gone. I am #17 on the list...I think I entered the title wrong, but it's supposed to be Tahoma Beadworks I think, but the drafted post is called In Loving Memory of Tina Downey.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I was relaxing at home and all of a sudden I got the urge to go down to Onset. I couldn't shake it, so I drove down, parked, and walked around. I came upon a small garden of sunflowers and tears sprang to my eyes. Those pics will be featured in my 9/8 post.
Hi Lee - Tina was amazing as you said .. and she did get things done and spread the A-Z Challenge word .. I know the team will miss her and I as a minion will find next year's A-Z difficult without her around to banter with ..
ReplyDeleteIt will take us all time to reflect and remember ... with thoughts - Hilary
LEE ~
ReplyDeleteI'm very sorry about your loss, buddy. I didn't know Tina; I can't recall any interaction I ever had with her. But it's clear from the posts that she was loved by a good many people.
This was a nice tribute to her, Lee.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I still can't believe she's gone. She was such a sweet and giving person.
ReplyDeleteShe was a kind, encouraging person who touched many lives. Including mine. I'll miss her at A to Z.
ReplyDeleteArlee, that was a beautiful tribute to Tina. She will be missed.
ReplyDeleteThe worst thing for me is that a several days before, she had emailed me, but I hadn't responded yet. Now, I just have this email staring at me in my inbox.
ReplyDeleteLovely tribute, Lee *hugs*
ReplyDeleteI am reading so much about this lovely person whom i never encountered. You are the lucky one who has. It would be kind of cool if someone, who knew her in blog land or in person would do an A to z about her. For some reason i think that would be neat and she may like that
ReplyDeleteThanks for leaving your comments on this post.
ReplyDeleteBirgit, I think that is a pretty cool idea. I may put that one out there. Thanks.
Lee
She had to be an amazing person to bring so many people together. I always enjoyed her humor and her no nonsense approach to things.
ReplyDeleteI know it will take a long while to get over her absence, maybe the sense of loss will never go away.
But how did I wind up #2 on the Linky? I'm never #2, 3 or 20. That was a surprise.
Beautiful tribute to Tina. I'll be participating with a sunflower for her.
ReplyDeleteThat was a beautiful tribute to Tina. I only knew her a little bit through the A-Z this past April and wish I had had the opportunity to get to know her more. It's obvious she was very loved here in the blogosphere. I can only imagine the depth of grief her family is experiencing. God bless them all.
ReplyDeleteSad Tina is gone but so happy so many fellow bloggers are coming together to remember her.
ReplyDeleteHello, I have just joined your followers, my address is cassiewise100.blogspot.com.
ReplyDeleteI thought your post to Tina very moving.I have just joined Blogger so pray tell me what is A to Z?
Cassandra.
A beautiful tribute for a lovely person I was just getting to know via the A to Z Challenge. I joined the link and will post my sunflower too.
ReplyDeleteI just learned of this from Khalanie's blog. I'm shocked and sad. Oh my goodness...
ReplyDeleteIt is so sad that she is gone.
ReplyDeleteA lovely tribute to Tina, she will be greatly missed.
ReplyDeleteHi Lee. Blogger took my blog off line because I used a different name for my email. Just set this one....THE LAST Only to find most of my followers have blocked me. Hope you don't.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
September 12th, 2014
ReplyDeleteDear Arlee Bird,
I never got to be in the same room with Tina, but I loved her as if I had. We had lots of fun on different blog hops, not just the A to Z.
We had our two languages, Swedish and English, as a given topic for discussion. I encouraged her to write in Swedish too. She inspired me. We became friends through writing.
Best wishes,
Anna