Good Friday’s pall extended until Saturday when I went to the Alemany Farmers Market and found a memorial for Fumi. She died on April 19th after a long battle with cancer. People were there to grieve and remember this wonderful human being.
I came to know Fumi several years ago because she was so friendly and engaging. She was more interested in you than selling flowers. Her selection of flowers was never extensive. She had here lilies, chrysanthemums, sunflowers, Gerber daisies and, when in season, narcissus and marigolds, which would last two weeks at home since they were cut the day before. Through her I met Dale, and Angela (who gave me updates on Fumi’s condition), Anges and Brenda, who all donated time so the business could continue. Fumi had battled cancer before. She joked that the treatment had given her curly hair. As if she had come to the brink of death, she lived as witness to embrace life fully: live in the present and love those around you. But now cancer had come back with a vengeance and her body could not withstand the ravages of the disease and the effects of chemotherapy. But her spirit lives on in the people she impacted.
Now I when I go to the Farmer’s Market, I will think of Fumi as I pass her stall. I don’t know from whom I will purchase flowers, but when I do I will associate her with flowers and remember the beauty she brought others.
© 2011 Hector V. Lee
I was just thinking about Fumi today and my Google search led me to your blog. She was a long time family friend and used to babysit me when I was a child. Her father and my father became close even with the language barrier. When her parents passed she would still visit my family (always bringing treats) and my dad would help her out at the nursery when she needed it. She made a delicious Japanese plum wine that she shared with my sister and I over a board game a few years back. She was a special soul who appreciated and found beauty in everything and was very fun loving. I love the picture you posted. It totally represents her spirit! Thanks for honoring her life.
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