Susan's Parting Gifts

Hi again... I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are as excited about the pending arrival of 2011 as I am. Now I know why the New Year is often symbolized with a little old guy/baby in a diaper (so maybe it's the 'out with the old/in with the new' but that baby really looks like a senior citizen)!

As you know - 2010 has been a crummy year. Sadness. Loss. Etc. By now everyone has surely heard me say how difficult it was to lose my sweet friend, Susan. Susan *LOVED* to give gifts. She was one of the most generous people I've ever known. She was also extremely creative.

And even in her illness, Susan managed to give me two last gifts. The first: she asked her daughter to have me contact a group of her friends...her "sister friends" with news of her illness. Because these ladies were so special to her they were on her mind even as she was facing the news of a terminal illness. And in her request that I notify them, she opened the door for me to get to know these lovely friends of her's. They have been lifesavers to me...we've joined together in our grief and in our fond memories of our shining Susan. And from that we've also found other common interests. I can see why Susan loved these gals so much. They are kind, generous, supportive, and encouraging. I feel very fortunate to have found their light in a time of such darkness.

The second parting gift: a reminder that life is so short and that I want to live in a way that when my life is over I'll be able to say "that was a good life."

So as 2011 approaches I'm excited about what the future holds in store. I know it's not going to be a perfect year. None are. But my plan is to make every day as special as I possibly can.

Thanks, Susan, for these gifts.