I received a gentle email this morning from my Danish friend Bodil's son. She passed away early this morning in Denmark after a sudden systemic infection. Three years ago she, an active everyday bike riding, fit 77 year old, suffered a devastating stroke. Life has been difficult in a wheelchair at a nice facility, but not her lovely home . She survived Covid as well with no visitors allowed inside, just her loving family at her window.
We met in 1967 when I was 18 and she was 25 as camp counselors at Camp Kiwanee, a Camp Fire Girls camp.. The camp worked with an international agency that provided willing overseas young people to staff American summer camps and practice their English skills. It was my first job, I was a pretty sheltered 18 year old and the experience was wonderful for me as well. I met some of the most important and influential people in my life. Many are still close friends. Meeting Bodil and the other international counselors opened my eyes to the lure of international travel. I have had the pleasure of visiting and staying in the homes of four folks that I met after working at the camp for five summers.
So, for the last 57 years, Bodil has been a constant in my life and her three children as well. I visited her in Denmark in 1972, 1978, 1995 with T and in 2004 with T and my sister-in-law. Two of her children visited us here at Dogcorner as young adults and we keep in touch at holidays and birthdays. Her oldest now has Australian citizenship, the other two live in Denmark, one with her three beloved grandchildren.
We were not everyday friends, but we were dear friends. She knew my parents and grandparents and they loved her. She spent her days off with me and my parents. We showed her some local sites and she experienced the mundane but interesting differences and similarities of our everyday lives. I remember her being shocked watching Candid Camera. She thought it was a shocking invasion of privacy. Bodil cut her own hair and gave me some tips and encouragement to try. I still think of her every time I have cut or trimmed my own over these last 57 years.
The placement agency used the counselors camp salaries to provide small group van or station wagon tours of the States after camp with other agency counselors. On her trip she met a Danish guy who had worked in a camp in Western Massachusetts, he became her husband after they returned home to their teaching careers.
When she turned 50, her children presented her with a ticket to visit me. Sadly, it was not to be, she had a sudden blood pressure issue and felt it was not wise to travel. I never thought our get together in Copenhagen with all of her children, 2 grandchildren,T, my sister-in-law and two of our Swedish 'family' would be our last. Rest in peace, Bodil you were well loved and will be missed.
I retired from public school teaching after happily spending twenty eight years playing in Kindergarten. Now I fill my days watching cat antics, taking endless...
One of the sad facts of life, as we grow older, is that we will lose some treasured friends. I don't believe friends have to be people you see often. Some of my best friends are my virtual friends ( I would like to think you are one of those). I hope you can remember her by eating or doing something you both loved to do.
You know I am one of your virtual friends :)