Henry Goes to Prague

Our hometown, Oneonta, is small. Mayberry-esque, if you will. Main Street today in fact is quite similar to its 1950s photo above. But just because Sheriff Taylor wouldn't be out of place here doesn't mean everyone knows everyone in town.

While I would have met my friend Adrienne at some point (our kids are very close in age, they live less than a mile away), a random coincidence and the internet brought us together sooner rather than later.

I've read Katie Allison Granju's blog, now called mamapundit, for about six years. Katie, who lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, is a “mom-blogger” and the author of Attachment Parenting. Not surprisingly she often comments on issues regarding breastfeeding, birthing, and parenting, topics I follow closely for personal and professional reasons. Coincidentally, I attended college with Katie although I didn't know her then. I still don't know her, but sometimes I feel like I do.

Adrienne, also an author (Hillbilly Gothic: A Memoir of Motherhood and Madness and Sweater Quest: My Year of Knitting Dangerously) and a blogger, moved to Oneonta from Knoxville where she knew and began a friendship with Katie. They belong to a group of writer moms who provide feedback, support, and networking connections for each other.

Going through Katie's blogroll one day I happened upon Adrienne's blog, martinimade, which I was startled to learn was written right around the corner. Adrienne, an avid knitter, often posts about her handmade creations. When I started following, she was taking a stab at sewing. So to speak.

She posted about a skirt she made and included a picture of herself (from the waist down) in the skirt.

A week later I was at church and heard a baby squawk. I turned toward the noise and the flurry of movement to see … the skirt.

“That there's Adrienne Martini,” I thought to myself. An introduction and sheepish acknowledgment (i-read-your-blog-and-i-recognized-your-skirt …) had us both chuckling. Here's A's take on the whole encounter, btw.

That was almost five years ago. Last Thursday Adrienne and her family left after spending a week with us in our apartment in Prague. Talk about taking it to the next level.

All of this is background for what follows.

Last April, Katie Allison Granju's eldest son, Henry, was hospitalized after a drug overdose and brutal assault. He died five weeks later. It's a horrifying and heartbreaking story that Adrienne and I followed along with thousands of others online through Katie's almost daily blog updates during that time. Henry's story, and Katie's story, is difficult but important to read, especially for parents. If you want to read it -- I encourage you to -- start here.

Katie with Henry at Christmas a few years ago

On the day of Henry's memorial service, another writer friend of Katie's, Ayun Halladay, organized  folks to send Katie “With You in Spirit” pictures. Katie's friends photographed posters and signs with Henry's name all over the place. They held up “Henry” signs in front of the New York city skyline and at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado. They wrote “Henry” in the sand near the surf and formed his name in rocks at the mountains.

Blog readers began following suit and sending "With You in Spirit" pictures from all over the world. And these pictures have become incredibly special to Henry's mom and dad and their families. As Katie wrote, “Henry was only 18, so there is so much he had yet to see when he died, but these photos are taking him so many places he would have wanted to go.”

Given our connection to Katie's web site, Adrienne and I knew we wanted to honor Henry during Adrienne's trip to Prague.

Our elder children helped us out. A's daughter, Maddy, wrote Henry's name in block letters. And Ben decorated the sign in cheerful colors.

Here is Henry in front of the Jindřišská věž, (Saint Henry's Tower).

Jindřišská věž was built between 1472 and 1475 as part of the Church of Saint Henry which already had a spire but did not have walls strong enough to support the weight of the bells. And so the Saint Henry Tower was built. It is the tallest bellfry in Prague.

We send our heartfelt thoughts and virtual hugs to Katie, Chris, Jon, Melissa, Jane, Elliot, Charlotte, Georgia, and all of Henry's family. We know this post and the pictures cannot diminish the pain, but we hope that you'll feel the comfort of a caring community that remembers Henry.

~ Kate & Adrienne