Farewell, Zanda

[bedlamhouse]

The 1991 UK filk con (Treble) changed my life for the better in too many ways to count. One of the finest, however, was meeting Zanda Myrande, my co-guest under her fannish name at the time of Zander Nyrond. Her songs knocked my socks off, and her kind and gentle presence made her someone I sought out at every opportunity.

Sadly, her presence in recent years was greatly diminished by health and financial issues, but her presence on line filled some of the holes.

Online I could always count on her to have compassion for the humans behind the positions, and her consistent defense of belief even as a non-believer (or at least a constant questioner) was brilliantly stated. Zanda epitomized kindness in her actions and reactions, but not without continuing her fight against anything she saw as oppressing the best humanity could offer.

We had many discussions and shared many songs. I've been blessed to sit with her in circle, to watch her in concert, and to share her and the Countess' living room. I have been touched by her music and changed for the better by her writings.

A light has gone out of my universe, and while new light always comes to fill the darkness there will never be one quite as bright and quirkily colored as Zanda's.

Comments

[callibr8]

I had not realized that Zanda had "left the stage". Yours is a lovely tribute, and she was indeed a lovely, thoughtful person whose light being extinguished is a great loss. I offer sincere condolences.