Marilyn's Tournament

Rodney Sheldon wrote this -

Hil and Michele held a release tournament for Planar Chaos in February. It was dedicated to Mare’s memory, due to the fact her card, the Timbermare, is part of the set. There were 52 people that played in the tournament… this is quite a large number for the small state of Vermont. People came from all over the state and even other states and a few from Canada.

There were another 30 plus that filter in during the day. All of the procceeds are going to the American Cancer society. People that did not even know her and were there to pick up comics or a game… just donated to American Cancer Society.This is not a tournament report… because I did not play… Mick and I helped Hil and Michele out running the tournament, the raffle, the bake sale, the drafts and anything else that need doing during the day. It was great fun!! I don’t even know who won the tournament… and in the end it really did not matter as that is not what the day was really about.

Just a few thoughts…. many of the people there were there not just to play magic, but to honor Mare’s memory. A couple from St. Johnsbury VT who I had never met before…(rare in a small magic community) came over because they had heard of Jamie and Mare…read some of his writings off the net and just felt that they wanted to play in a tournament in her memory. They play out of a friend’s house as there no longer is a store in that area of VT. They came just to meet people that knew Jamie and Mare… to feel connected.Michele gave a quick “speech” before the tournament started… about Mare and why the tournament was being played… which brought a round of applause from the crowd. There were stories being told… and memories being shared by many who were there. Some who only knew her casually thru Jamie and Magic… had kind words, and fond memories of there brief encounters with Mare. There was laughter and an occasional tear…but never for long…

One person in particular that was there late in the evening… knew her only thru magic. I have known him for many years, again only thru magic…. he and I have sat across the table from one another many times in the last 15 years. I did not even realize that he knew Mare or the effect she had on him until we were talking late last night in the back of a gaming store, while a magic draft was going on around us….

“Rod, I had dinner with her, Jamie, Michele and Hilary once after a tournament. We had chinese. You know what she said to me… ‘that I was charming. ‘ ” At this point tears filled his eyes. He went on…”I did not really know her…but she was a beautiful person just for telling me that. I would have thrown myself in front of a truck for her.”

She really was that kind of a person. She touched so many people that we don’t even realize. The store was filled with people that had similar experiences with Mare…and she touched each of them… if not in her lifetime… yesterday with her memory.

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