Joy Tumbled Out of Her

Tasneem and my daughter Olivia met when they were about 1 year old and in childcare
together in Philadelphia. Tasneem’s love of life, laughter and friends stood out even from that
young age.

One of my most vivid memories of Tasneem and Olivia from those long-ago days is of the two
of them giggling and playing in the sand when both families went to the Ocean City, NJ beach.
At the day’s end, the two girls were totally knocked out asleep in their strollers, their heads
drooping in the same direction. There also was the day when our two families were having
dinner together, and Tasneem and Olivia maniacally began chasing each other around the
dining room table, laughing all the way.

Fast forward 18 years, when I snapped a photo of them re-creating that chase. Whether 1-year-
old or 19, the two friends’ laughter was a vivacious soundtrack. Tasneem and Olivia had that
kind of friendship that reconnected instantly when they came home during college breaks.
We admired Tasneem’s zest for life, her enjoyment of all her friends, and the nonchalant way
she charted and delighted in her own path. These qualities came across in a series of
photographs from a pre-prom party with Olivia’s and Tasneem’s friends. In the photos, all the
other friends stood still as they posed for the camera. Not Tasneem. In some photos, she looks
at friends on one side of her; in others she looks in the other direction. In all the pictures, joy
tumbled out of her. That is the Tasneem I always will love and the Tasneem I always will
remember.

– Carolyn Davis