Welcome

I intend for this blog to be fun, positive and uplifting, for myself, and for anyone who happens to read it. It is also for the purpose of honoring one of the very best friends of my whole life. So before I get to the fun part, I need to make the reader aware that I am in the early stages of greiving. I want to give background, so that folks might better understand my perspectives.



My friend, my very wonderful friend, passed away on July 7th, 2008.



She was 36 years old, married to a great guy, and the amazing mother of two precious kids, who are 3 and 5. I think I'll just go ahead and give the brief version of what happened. Two years ago she was diagnosed with carcinoid cancer. Things were not good, but my friend wasn't about to accept that this couldn't be overcome. She and her husband worked very, very hard at searching for answers and help - all over the country, and the help in our city was also excellent. She did take some treatments that actually caused some reversal and shrinking of tumors.



This was great. The tumors had shrunk and some had disappeared. She was now a candidate for surgery. We were all very hopeful. She had the surgery, and the results were wonderful. The doctors had gotten everything visible, and were thrilled - which made her family and the hundreds of others waiting for the news, also thrilled. Then, soon after our brief victory, she contracted a staph infection. She fought it in ICU for about 11 days before it took her life.



And people, I am here to tell you that hers was a life that was beautiful.



I will talk more and more about her and the many lessons I've taken from knowing her.



But for now, I will close by explaining the title of the blog. Before she went for surgery, my friend insisted that she take me and two other friends to see the Broadway show "Wicked." She had already seen it, and told me that "It's a best friends show. I have to see it with my best friends." So we went.



She is right. It is a best friends show, but what I couldn't let myself think about too much was the part about one having to leave the other. She cried through most of the show, and I cried too. I knew she was very scared about the surgery, but I just wasn't going there.



Anyway, her favorite song from the show is, "Defying Gravity." It is what the two friends sing to each other as they are realizing that they have to part. It's about no longer following other people's rules, living your life honestly and bravely, and being truly happy.



I want to honor my friend with my life. I want to continue living in a way that I know would make her happy. Although I am in the worst emotional pain of my life right now, I suppose I won't be forever, and even now, I am happy. I know she wants me to be happy.



And, with my whole heart, my friend, "I hope you're happy, now."