Sad Day

In the last 24 hours I've learned about the deaths of two very loving women and it saddens me that their lights have gone out.  Both were ill, so it was not a huge shock, but it is still hard to comprehend how life will carry on without them, especially for their families.

Last night we found out that our friend and realtor, A, died.  We're not sure when but presumably a few weeks ago.  Unfortunately, we were left out of the loop when she passed and were unable to attend funeral services.  It was only because my husband was worried that he'd been unable to reach her for so long that he finally called a colleague of hers and heard the news.  This lady was the first person we met when we moved to Michigan.  She was not only our realtor, but took us all under her wing and made sure we settled in well.  She became "Grammalene" to our children and came to their birthday parties.  She fed our cat when we went on holiday.  She came over for dinner.  All of this became less frequent as her health declined but as my husband also had a continuous business relationship with her, they remained close.  She was a kind and generous woman with a weak spot for stray cats who always did what she could to help others. 

This morning I learned that the mother of one of my oldest friends passed away last night after a battle with ovarian cancer.  I've known this lady over half of my life, since J & I met in grade 9.  Although he & I don't talk often, I still consider him one of my dearest friends.  His mom was always warm and loving.  She always had a huge smile and a hug for anyone who walked in the door.  I didn't spend much time at their house, but I always felt like family when I was there and she was always happy to see me, even if I stopped by unannounced (as I often did).  She loved her kids more than anything and doted on her grandsons.  She'd been through a lot over the years and it finally seemed like she'd come out on top.  I knew about her cancer diagnosis but I didn't know how sick she had become.  Stupid cancer.  Always taking those we love from us far too soon.

Today I am sad.  I wish things like this didn't happen and I wish I lived closer to my friends so that I could be there for them.  I know there's nothing I can do to change what happened but I also know that a hug and a little bit of love can go a long way.  For now, though, I'll have to be content with sending good loving thoughts from afar. 

If you wouldn't mind, could you send a few good thoughts my way, too?