My Friendship with Marj

Carrie Tharan

My moving to Bohol in 2004 as my second home, brought a number of blessings; one of which is meeting Marj. I have heard from common friends how truly, verily, absolutely good a poet she is. A former student of hers remarked how she immensely enjoyed her class. I was thrilled to receive her book, Ochre Tones, when she first visited my house on June 20, 2004. From then on, we became friends. We were both members of the Board of Directors of Women’s Feature Service, an NGO dedicated to integrating women’s perspectives in any news or feature articles. For several years, we would meet regularly for our meetings. We organized workshops for women writers. When Marj visits Bohol, we would meet and dine at our favorite cafes or resorts. When it’s my turn to visit Mania, together with Olive, our friend and founder of WFS, we would spend time reminiscing good old days over a cup of cappuccino and oatmeal cookies.

When I’m with Marj, there’s always that feeling of joy that suffices and calmness that comforts.

Oh, the blessing that is MARJ!

Carrie Tharan
Baclayon Bohol