Hello Garden(ers),
This is a message we were certainly never wanting to have to write, but unfortunately as we become connected to each other across the world, and experience each other's joys, we sometimes must also be with each other in grief. Unfortunately, we have become aware that one of our Garden members, Oddnon, has passed on. We understand this news may be difficult and may inspire a lot of feelings that people might need support sitting with. Today, Tuesday Feb 10th, we'll be having members with clinical and/or trauma informed training available for people to sit with, talk to or share space as needed to process this information. From 2pm-4:30pm PST J Mase will be available, From 4:30pm-6:30pm PST Deeda will be available. From 6:30pm-8:30pm PST Rebecca will be available. From 8:30pm-11:45pm PST Chanelle will be available. A Memorial inside of Garden will take place on Thursday, February 12th at 5pm PST. All Garden members are welcome to attend to honor Oddnon. Below, please find a letter written by Bellamy, whose friendship with Oddnon brought him into our community.
[Wednesday] January 28th, Oddnon passed away. He passed surrounded by friends and loved ones so, at, the very least, he knew he was loved as he took his last few breaths.
Oddnon was new to Garden but he was very excited to have been invited to the space. Because of his various conditions, mobility was very difficult for him. It meant most of his time spent with friends was spent online, and in a move very typical for him he didn’t let this get him down. He made the most of it and he made the most of it for both himself and others.
Oddnon spent much of his time online assisting content creators with things like editing and fundraisers. He took a lot of pride in being the guy behind the scenes making sure everything went smoothly. There is no doubt that because of him many people are in much better situations than they would have been otherwise. His hands are directly in fundraising efforts well into the tens of thousands. He believed firmly in the power of community and his behavior reflected this.
To those who met him he was always kind. He did his best to make space for others (sometimes to his own detriment). He wanted people to feel appreciated. He wanted them to feel comfortable and welcomed. This was evident to those who have shared their experiences with him. He was known to reach out and send kind words to others with no expectation of reciprocation. If he knew someone he could contact was having a hard time he would reach out and offer whatever he could. He truly wanted nothing more than to be helpful. Oddnon truly had the kindest heart and his soul, his personality, his wants and joys will live on in the lives and memories of those he called friends.
If you’re interested in hearing Oddnon speak for himself, fortunately a friend saw fit to interview him in recognition of his contributions. "
Bellamy A.R.
We have no perfect words to share, but we are going to ensure that this is a week we honor and care for the memory of someone who has come to mean so much to us and to so many of you.
Again, J Mase, Deeda, Rebecca and Chanelle will be around in intervals throughout today (schedule above) and there will be a Memorial on Thursday at 5pm PST. If you would like a reminder for the memorial, you can add it to your calendar by going to the visit page and RSVPing.
May each of you give yourselves some gentleness today.
Until next our avatars meet,
🪄Al , 🪻J Mase & 🪴Kwaku