Reading about Mev, Remembering Gabby

by Krista Rux

I like The Book of Mev because of its honesty. When someone that you truly love dies, and it’s a death that can seem unfair or premature, sometimes the pain of even hearing their name can be too great. So to go back and tell her story, and yours, well…I don’t think I’d be that strong enough for that. I had two best friends in high school. One of them discovered she had leukemia our freshman year of college. She battled it with all her might. She passed away in February and just thinking about her or having a simple flashback of going to Sonic or having a sleepover hurts. And then there’s the memories of her in the hospital, or finding out that the treatments didn’t work, or her talking about the daunting idea of her death–and I fall apart. To be able to share the life that Mev lived with others is wonderful. It’s strong. And I’m sure it’s painful. The thing about cancer or a tumor is that it seems like a cruel joke. You feel cheated. For the person you care for and even for yoruself. In one way it’s nice to be able to say goodbye. With Gabby, I was there throughout the years. And when it was the end, I was there the last week up until the last hours. I’m grateful for that. But you can’t help being a little angry. At the injustice of it all. They had so much life left. They had so much to give. It hurts. The Book of Mev was really relatable for me. The terminology, the emotions, the heartbreak was real. I can only imagine what it was like to have it be your spouse, when a dear friend was hard enough.

Krista Rux studied in Social Justice in fall 2006. She graduates from Saint Louis University in May 2007.