My happiness before the long-awaited trip to Croatia, was shaken by the tragic news of my friend Dubravka (Duda) passing away a few days ago. Although in her mid-seventies, she was very vibrant and there was no indication that we would soon loose her, and it so happened that Duda simply never woke up. Many of us, with whom she was close, were left in shock, and it is hard to believe Duda is not with us anymore. She was my friend, but also the mother of my best, life-long friend Ivana. In my deep sadness over the loss of Duda, I am thankful to be back in Croatia with my Ivana in these heart-breaking moments.
Duda was a tall, slender, blonde and blue-eyed woman, always beautiful, elegant and a real lady in every way. People of all ages and profiles often gathered in her home, and she nurtured family relationships with her and her husband's family but also with many friends. She cooked remarkably, just as well as my grandmother, and that’s a really big compliment. She taught me that many things can be arranged, deepened, and resolved with dining. "Kristina, don't make it hard for you to cook lunch or dinner for other people, a lot of things can be solved or initiated during meals." I was often a guest in her home, and I always enjoyed good food, but also lovely company. She was the rock of the family, a magnet that attracted people and around which we all gladly gathered.
For almost a quarter of a century, she worked at the University of Zagreb, at the Department of Chemistry, where she headed the department for postgraduate studies. Since we worked in the same building, we often hung out and would drink at least one coffee together during the working day. We lived in the same part of the city, so we travelled home together. Sometimes on the way home we would stop in our cafe, or we visited a small gallery in which we enjoyed watching the beautiful art.
Duda was with me at many important moments in my life. I remember that together we bought clothes for my PhD thesis defence, but also for my mother's funeral.
We talked about everything, and I could be very open with her. I loved her advice and it's as if I still hear her say "Kristina, give yourself time, always and in all, time is our best guide".
Unfortunately, Duda's time with us has run out, but in the hearts of many of us she will remain forever. She was a lady for life, and passed away as one too.
Lots of love,
Kristina
Sunday, July 25th, 2021
Priča o Dubravki
Moju sreću prije dugo očekivanog putovanja u Hrvatsku potresla je tragična vijest da je prije nekoliko dana preminula moja prijateljica Dubravka (Duda). Iako je bila u srednjim sedamdesetima, bila je vrlo vitalna i nije bilo naznaka da ćemo je uskoro izgubiti. Dogodilo se da se Duda jednostavno jedno jutro nije više probudila. Mnogi od nas, s kojima je bila bliska, ostali smo u šoku i teško je vjerovati da Duda više nije s nama. Bila je moja prijateljica, ali i majka moje najbolje, životne prijateljice Ivane. U svojoj dubokoj tuzi zbog gubitka Dude, zahvalna sam što sam se vratila u Hrvatsku da budem sa svojom Ivanom u ovim pretužnim trenucima.
Duda je bila visoka, vitka, plavokosa i plavooka žena, uvijek lijepa, elegantna i prava dama u svakom pogledu. U njezinom su se domu često okupljali ljudi svih dobnih skupina i profila, a njegovala je obiteljske odnose sa svojom i suprugovom obitelji, ali i s mnogim prijateljima. Kuhala je izvanredno, jednako dobro kao i moja baka, i to je stvarno veliki kompliment. Naučila me da se mnoge stvari mogu organizirati, produbiti i riješiti uz objed. “Kristina, nemoj da ti bude teško skuhati ručak ili večeru za druge ljude, uz obroke se puno toga rješava.” Često sam bila gost u njenom domu i uvijek sam uživala u odličnoj hrani, ali i u dobrom društvu. Bila je stijena obitelji, magnet koji je privlačio ljude i oko kojeg smo se svi rado okupljali.
Gotovo četvrt stoljeća radila je na Sveučilištu u Zagrebu, gdje je vodila odjel za poslijediplomski studij. Budući da smo radile u istoj zgradi, često smo se družile i tijekom radnog dana popile bismo barem jednu kavu zajedno. Živjele smo u istom dijelu grada, pa smo zajedno putovali kući. Ponekad bismo se na putu kući zaustavile u našem kafiću ili posjetile malu galeriju u kojoj smo uživale gledajući dragu nam umjetnost.
Duda je bila sa mnom u mnogim važnim trenucima mog života. Sjećam se da smo zajedno kupovale odjeću za obranu mog doktorata, ali i za pogreb moje majke.
Razgovarale smo o svemu i mogla sam biti vrlo otvorena s njom. Uvijek ću pamtiti njezine savjete i kao da je još čujem kako kaže "Kristina, daj si vremena, uvijek i u svemu, vrijeme je naš najbolji pokazatelj."
Nažalost, Dudino je vrijeme sa nama isteklo, ali u srcima mnogih od nas ostat će zauvijek. Bila je dama za života, a i preminula je kao dama.
S ljubavlju,
Kristina
Nedelja, 25. srpnja, 2021.
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