Goodbye Gralin

[Precioussss]

Hi.

This is a memorial to my friend Anne or, as you may know her, Gralin Musicteeth.
She will not be coming back to the Barrow Downs anymore.
She died on April 28th, 2006 of brain cancer.
Barrow-Wight, you may shut down her account or whatever it is you do.
Thanks.

[Valier]

I would like to send my condolences.... I had talked with her through pm and found her to be witty and funny...I pmed with her about her Buttress signature...I found it amusing...She thought it funny that I knew a Buttress to be a type of Arch used in architecture.... so following the song of one was hilarious! I never knew her, but when I hear the word Buttress it makes me smile and think of Gralin.:)

May she rest in peace

[JennyHallu]

Thank you, Preciousss, for letting us know. Gralin's clever riddle made me smile, and she shall be missed here. God bless and care for you and her other friends and family. My prayers are with you.

[narfforc]

Memories mean no-one ever truly dies, I offer you my condolences and give you the hope that your friend may be in a better place, and in deep conversation with The Prof.

[Roa_Aoife]

Gralin is a member I truly respect. She was always fun to interact with. I will truly miss her seeing her around the Downs.

I know nothing we can say or do here will make it all better. No one can make the loss of a friend less painful. Please remmber though, there are people who care and are willing to listen. Don't let it shut you down. If you ever need to talk, please message me.

And do take care of yourself, Precious.

Also, a special request to the Barrow Wight- please leave Gralin's account active for a little while longer.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

My condolences to gralin's family and friends. She will be missed.

[Celuien]

My condolences as well to you, Precioussss, and to all of Gralin's family and friends. She will truly be missed.

Farewell, Gralin.

[The Only Real Estel]

Condolences to Gralin's family and friends, I'm sorry to hear about it.

Just checking: this isn't another "Crystal Heart" (http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showthread.php?t=11675&page=1&highlight=Crystal+Heart), is it?

I'm assuming it's legit, but when you've been burned once...

[Lhunardawen]

A wise precaution, Estel. But I never thought I'd see the real thing... :(

My condolences to gralin's loved ones.

[Oddwen]

My condolences and prayers are with the family.

[Farael]

My condolences and best wishes to Gralin's family and loved ones.

[Glirdan]

My condolences and wishes to both her family and friends.

[Lush]

My condolences. Cancer is... ehhh. We're all going to be touched by it, or are already touched by it. :(

Stay strong.

[Durelin]

God bless her, and all her family and friends.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

I would like to send my condolences however late they might be.

I was away at the time of this tragedy so I did not know, hearing this now has left me absolutely devastated. I honestly feel like weeping after reading this.
I did not have much contact with Gralin, but the little I had was very positive indeed and when the shock disappears; I will remember her with joy. She is a person I am happy to have known the little I did.

I hope I don't upset anyone by bringing this up again, hopefully you are able to think back on Gralin and remember the good things she brought rather than her sad ending.

[Mithalwen]

I am glad you have bumped this up, I always meant to post here but I tarried - partly because I fell into the "once bitten, twice shy category" and partly because (with no disrespect to Precioussss intended) I really hoped this was another hoax. Then the moment passed.

I was aware of Gralin as someone bright and funny but I did not really know her, so moved by the unmitigated tragedy of her death, I read through a lot of her posts. Most of these are to be found in the Quiz and Mirth forums but not all.

Three I would like to draw your attention to:

Firstly (http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showpost.php?p=439711&postcount=57) Gralin in her own words.

Secondly (http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showpost.php?p=442564&postcount=27) What Tolkien meant to her.

Thirdly (http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showpost.php?p=447645&postcount=752) Her farewell.

Reading these increased my sadness but it also increased my admiration. She had clearly had difficulties in her life before her fatal illness, yet the experience had not embittered her - Gralin assigned nothing to Mordor. Even if she wasn't referring to her diagnosis in the third post - almost her last, it is almost unbearably poignant. She has haunted my thoughts a great deal in the past months and is highly effective in giving a true sense of perspective. While I now pay her a belated tribute, I will try to always remember her joie de vivre and complete lack of self-pity. Therefore I will not say goodbye.