Saying a Last Goodbye

Tuesday and Wednesday were not the best of days for me. My very good friend of many years passed away. Tuesday was visitation and Wednesday was the funeral. I went to both. She was one of those sweet, outgoing people that you could always count on for a kind word. She was always interested in what was going on with the people she cared about. Sometimes, people ask, but they don’t really want to hear about your life. My friend, Mary, was never like that. I know she lived a good life. She was a devoted mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She was almost like a favorite aunt, who is simply always there when you need her, and even though we only touched bases occasionally, I felt better just knowing she was around.

Eventually, I’ll smile whenever I think of her even though now, I only feel the sense of loss. I believe she is in a better place, and that place is even better for having her there. Maybe it is in the hopes of catharsis, but I added a funeral scene to my latest book. No, I’m not morbid, but I try to reflect things from life in the scenes from my books. Even if I try not to dwell on death, it is something we face everyday and most of us struggle with. I think the scene will work out well and I can thank Mary for inspiring me to take the book in a direction I hadn’t thought about before. Spring is about renewal and maybe this is a good time to reflect on those we have loved and lost. I will try to concentrate on all the things I loved about her and all the good that was part of her. When we do that, we always keep a part of them with us and we never have to say a last goodbye. Thank you Mary, wherever you are.