Friends...

I lost a good friend this past weekend. She was a friend that if not for this thing we call the world wide web I would never have "met". We were both members of an online diet website, where we both had journals. This woman touched my heart from the very beginning, but the last 2 years especially. She has been battling breast cancer in the most courageous, encouraging, optimistic, graceful way and that doesn't even come close to describing what an inspiring person she is. After going through all of the chemo, radiation, mastectomy and hysterectomy she still seemed to care more about what was going on in everyone else's life then her own. She last posted to the webiste on January 11th, less then 2 weeks before she died and she ended her post with ..."I'm thinking of you all, sending a zillion hugs and good wishes for a happy, healthy new year. Much love to you!" I was awed by a sermon that she did for her church just over a year ago. Laura's Sermon And although I never actually "met" Laura she has touched my life with her generosity, kindness, laughter and love of living. Laura I will miss you, but you made me a better a person for having known you.

Amazingly this photo was taken just before Christmas. Thank goodness that the end of her journey came quickly with no prolonged suffering. In addition to the ton of friends this woman left behind, she also left a husband, a 10 year old and twin six year olds. My heart goes out to them.