If you've been on Hive for ages, you're probably addicted, and it's very likely part of that reason is because of the people you've connected with here. You might not have ever met them face to face, but you've shared their griefs and losses, their joys, their passions.
And when they disappear, we wonder where they go.
This week we learnt of the passing of @lizelle - being a community leader and a real life friend of some, news travelled fast. Some of us messaged each other via Discord, Whatsapp, Instagram - did you hear, did you hear? - and were left pensive if not devastated, considering our connections with her, realising how lucky we were to know her, because we are human, and sometimes we forget these things.
The blockchain being what it is, her stories are still there for anyone to read: the South African home she loved, her garden, her baking, her beloved Arthur, her adventures in retirement, the cottage she turned into an Airbnb, and eventually, the difficult process of leaving the home where she'd spent so many years and the memories she'd made there.
She was always such an energetic woman and was never ready to retire. She turned the garden cottage on her property into an Airbnb, and she and Arthur decided to give it a try. I think it had belonged to her mother, Lily, and the cottage was named after her. It often featured in Lizelle's Hive Garden posts, too - of course this is how we often connected, via the garden.
Lizelle loved meeting people from all walks of life, so it's no suprise she loved Hive and started the Silver Bloggers community (after I flippantly commented she should start a community for retirees!). She ran an Air BNB in her home in South Africa with her beloved Arthur, who sadly passed away suddenly a few years ago, which was a real shock to her.
I used to love Lizelle's posts about food and baking. They were never just about the finished dish; they carried family history, memories and the pleasures of everyday life.
She also shared her thoughts about South Africa and the possibility of travelling further afield. Even after Arthur died, she still had dreams and a curiosity about life.
These things matter to me because they show, yet again, that Hive is not merely a publishing platform for us. It was — and is — a place where we can find one another, learn from one another and create things that outlast an individual post, even if we disappear, or god forbid, shuffle off this mortal coil.
I wish I could have another conversation with Lizelle about gardens, homes and the changes that come with time, or hear how she was finding joy in the little things despite missing Arthur so much. His death was difficult for her. She had to navigate all the practical matters he'd previously taken care of, while coping with the emotional reality of being without the man who'd shared her everyday world for years.
I can't claim to have known @lizelle as well as many here, but I did treasure those very human moments with her, talking about grief and loss, about gardening, food, travel, health. Her own posts about grief reminded us that laughter can coexist with sadness, a meaningful life walk alongside longing for the past and the one's you've lost.
I remember thinking how brave she was to pack up her home and move into a new chapter of her life, which she, and us too, imagined would last longer than it did.
I imagine her with Arthur now, in a beautiful garden in the sunshine.
Rest easy, Lizelle. We'll miss your presence on Hive.
She had so much hope, and courage. One foot in front of the other, and on, with good cheer.
It's remarkable how some people can do that in the face of adversity. My folks are like that. I'd like to think I will be too, but I doubt it 😜
I am sorry to hear her passing. Although I didn't really interact much with her, but I know she was one of the respected hivean.
May she rest in peace, and get together with her husband Arthur in the other world.
Aw, that's lovely. I think she had a lot of respect here for her consistency and the care she had for the communities she was involved in x
Thats a lovely tribute to Lizzie, and it sums up how many of us saw her, a strong and lovely character, a friend to many of us even though we had never met her. I'm glad we collectively were a small part of her life and hope we had brought a lot of support and fun in her latter years.
I think she must have really enjoyed Hive, to have stuck with us so long!
Oh no, so sad to hear of her passing. She was always such a supportive person on Hive.
She was. It's odd she's gone.
What a wonderful way to remember dear @lizelle. I did not interact with her much myself, but what I recall is that she was very kind and thoughtful in our interactions. We can't turn back time, but now wish i would have read more of her posts and got to know her more. 😢
I'm sure you both would have eventually found your way to a good conversation of three, should she have stayed with us..
I believe so too.
I was so sorry to hear.
I kept checking for a good few months, sort of skulking around accounts I thought might know something. I guess it was to be expected after the radio silence, but to the last, i'm sure I wasn't the only one to hope she'd pull through. What a truly extraordinary person she was. <3
I hope, as you say, she is with Arthur now.
It's always a nice thought to imagine them in that kind of after life, isn't it, though I don't believe that's what happens. Still.
I had heard she was very ill but didn’t know that she’d passed away. Very sad news. She was very much a big part of this community and we probably spoke a few times on here but not often. My thoughts go out to her family and friends xxx.
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It was so sad when she lost her husband and had to redefine her life without him. She was a strong, determined woman, loved and admired by so many here. I, too, will miss her postings. Yet I can see her with her husband, enjoying a brand-new life together once again. Rest easy, my friend.
I read a short poem the other day which broke me - it was something along the lines of 'when I go, stay as long as you can, because I want to hear all the stories when we meet again'. That vibe.
Oh yeah, I can see how that would break a heart. It is always so sad to say goodbye, yet we all will meet again.