Sybil: time warp with ashes and roses

Meet Sybil.

This is Sybil, or what is left of Sybil almost a quarter century after she passed away. We do not usually allow people to leave ashes on our property. We made an exception to keep Sybil with us.

Sybil was Jewish. She often brought tsimmis to potlucks. In childhood her family ran a diaper service. Sybil had at some point studied ballet and even at the end of her life could still do a couple important ballet stretches. Sybil also was a huge fan of the vocal ministry of babies. Also once or twice when a membership was coming up, Sybil would ask something like "Who is this person? Are they on any committees?"

RantWoman met Sybil her first time at Meeting, when RantWoman arrived needing spiritual nurture, refuge from Things that Were Not Working. RantWoman did not exactly meet Sybil. RantWoman saw pictures of an 85th birthday celebration where some Friends with climbing gear took Sybil out to a Seattle park with a climbing rock and Sybil climbed the rock.

RantWoman's thoughts ran to "This is COOL, both climbing the rock and people willing to take Sybil out to climb the rock."

At some point RantWoman also connected with a Friend who still remembers Sybil from long ago days at  Quaker Boarding School, a concept RantWoman has never fully wrapped her brain around.

Sybil lived in public housing and invited in many students to practice English. Sybil was QUITE deaf and was always asking Friends in person and in the bulletin to Speak Up. This was long before the days of movable microphones. Sybil was also pretty exuberant about participating anyway and Sybil lingers in many Friends' memories as someone who lived well in spite of poverty.

Sybil has wandered through a couple vocal ministries lately including RantWoman. There is more lingering to be said of multiple strands of time warp but RantWoman has not sorted out further words and will stop for now.