Karen touched so many lives. Some refer to it as " magical fairy dust". She was an amazing woman, mother, wife, teacher and friend. As friends of the family, we would like to create a storybook of her life in order to capture some of the "magic" she gave all of us who had the pleasure of knowing her.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Friends
Please share your favorite story of Karen and how she impacted your life. Along with your story, we would like to know your name and the number of years that you have known Karen.
One of my favorite memory pictures of Karen is of her standing with the afternoon sun behind her in front of Mercer Island High School, red lights shining off her hair, her freckles warm and eyes watering, laughing so hard we had to grab each others' arms to keep standing! I have no idea what we were laughing about but it was one of those joyous giggles and whoops that can make a gray, rainy day like today better. Karen, light and joy!
I met Karen on one of my annual trips to work at the studio at Earthues on Ballard Ave in Seattle. Karen has been a friend of Earthues before my first trip in 2006. It was love at first sight. Karen was talented, loving and always willing to be a bit devilish. In the years that folllowed I have come to Ballard each summer and always Karen and I would get together for a dinner or lunch or two while I was there. I told Karen, she was the reason for my trip to Seattle each year. And it was the truth. I lost my Mom in January of 2005 and although we were a bit nearer in age, she still filled that loving place that I so sorely missed with my mom. I will miss her when I am in Ballard now. I will miss her walking into a room and how she lit it up. I felt blessed to be her friend. I will forever miss this wonderful friend and person...until we meet again.
We would sometimes meet on the stairs, and discuss gardening and soil. I once left her a secret gift of a rose plant, named "Happy Child." I think that describes her and the students she worked with and for.
Karen was the kind of person I wish I had met in high school, but was happy to have met as a coworker.
Two years ago, a student that both Karen and I worked with died suddenly, in her junior year. Both of us were heartsick, and I often turned to Karen to help me work through the sorrow we felt. On the night when the student would have graduated from high school, Karen saved a seat for her in the theater where graduation took place, and we pinned a red rose to the back of the seat, because the young woman had always loved red. No matter how hard a student might try to keep a protective wall around themselves, Karen always found a way in, because no one could resist the warmth of her heart.
Karen had an amazing knack for helping me feel good even on rough days. I frequently sought her out as a mentor and a sounding board to help me handle difficult situations with students. Even when I felt I had botched something or let a student down, she always restored my confidence by countering with something like: "But you care about this kid, so even if is it messy it is going to work out and be okay." When I last saw her I told her that I really missed having her at school and that I missed her magic. She smiled her wisest smile and said "I've passed it all on to you." No doubt there many of us who will be doing our best to sprinkle her fairly dust and work that magic!
I've written a piece called "Remembering Karen Hagen," which is about our life, times, and friendship at Seattle Academy. It's a bit too long for a comment box, so I'm including the link to my blog. As Karen would always say, "Have good times." http://100alienstories.blogspot.com/2011/06/remembering-karen-hagen.html
One of my favorite memory pictures of Karen is of her standing with the afternoon sun behind her in front of Mercer Island High School, red lights shining off her hair, her freckles warm and eyes watering, laughing so hard we had to grab each others' arms to keep standing! I have no idea what we were laughing about but it was one of those joyous giggles and whoops that can make a gray, rainy day like today better. Karen, light and joy!
ReplyDeleteI met Karen on one of my annual trips to work at the studio at Earthues on Ballard Ave in Seattle. Karen has been a friend of Earthues before my first trip in 2006. It was love at first sight. Karen was talented, loving and always willing to be a bit devilish. In the years that folllowed I have come to Ballard each summer and always Karen and I would get together for a dinner or lunch or two while I was there. I told Karen, she was the reason for my trip to Seattle each year. And it was the truth. I lost my Mom in January of 2005 and although we were a bit nearer in age, she still filled that loving place that I so sorely missed with my mom.
ReplyDeleteI will miss her when I am in Ballard now. I will miss her walking into a room and how she lit it up. I felt blessed to be her friend. I will forever miss this wonderful friend and person...until we meet again.
We would sometimes meet on the stairs, and discuss gardening and soil. I once left her a secret gift of a rose plant, named "Happy Child." I think that describes her and the students she worked with and for.
ReplyDeleteKaren was the kind of person I wish I had met in high school, but was happy to have met as a coworker.
Two years ago, a student that both Karen and I worked with died suddenly, in her junior year. Both of us were heartsick, and I often turned to Karen to help me work through the sorrow we felt. On the night when the student would have graduated from high school, Karen saved a seat for her in the theater where graduation took place, and we pinned a red rose to the back of the seat, because the young woman had always loved red. No matter how hard a student might try to keep a protective wall around themselves, Karen always found a way in, because no one could resist the warmth of her heart.
ReplyDeleteKaren had an amazing knack for helping me feel good even on rough days. I frequently sought her out as a mentor and a sounding board to help me handle difficult situations with students. Even when I felt I had botched something or let a student down, she always restored my confidence by countering with something like: "But you care about this kid, so even if is it messy it is going to work out and be okay." When I last saw her I told her that I really missed having her at school and that I missed her magic. She smiled her wisest smile and said "I've passed it all on to you." No doubt there many of us who will be doing our best to sprinkle her fairly dust and work that magic!
ReplyDeleteI've written a piece called "Remembering Karen Hagen," which is about our life, times, and friendship at Seattle Academy. It's a bit too long for a comment box, so I'm including the link to my blog. As Karen would always say, "Have good times." http://100alienstories.blogspot.com/2011/06/remembering-karen-hagen.html
ReplyDelete