the Lady

I lost one of my oldest friends a week ago Saturday. She was only 38. She was diagnosed with cancer in the fall. The second loved one (and non-smoker) to die of lung cancer within one year and one day. I've seen others write about this, in ways I've found quite moving, but I've felt completely inarticulate. I've focused on the practical, the logistical (like getting to Chicago and back in a minimum of time) and trying to help. When my step-mother died, I saw the survivors were laden with a myriad of responsibilities when least able to deal with it. So, I was glad to be able to offer RJH's help getting an obit printed in time, or to contact our Alma mater, or find friends with whom we've lost touch. Though what I wanted to do was to go back, to spend more time with her, to make her life easier in what were her last months.

I was able to get to her funeral, though it was in the middle of the OOAK, which made it even more exhausting. I'm thankful for the help I got from friends and family. I'll tell you about the show and the rest of the week in a little while. Right now, I need a break.