Friends

As we look toward a new year, a dear friend has passed. Her husband married us nearly 15 years ago and she was a witness on the marriage certificate.

She died earlier this month. I wish I could have traveled there when she was alive. After her husband died, there was an interment at Annapolis, yes he was a Navy man. She told me they got a space in the Columbarium. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. She told me she wanted to join him and that she will, in time.

He asked her out twice and she demurred. He said third time is the last. They married five weeks later, were married for over 50 years and had three sons and many grandkids. Now great-grands.

After we met, she asked me to call her “Mom.” She had three impressive sons and probably always wanted a daughter, too. She said I was it. At Annapolis my husband and I pulled up in the land yacht we rented. She was telling one of the organizers that I would not be there and I showed up and we hugged.

She made me stuff, was a milliner but we placed some of my dog’s ashes into a teddy bear my dog brought to our park for the first time ever. She always had balls to fetch. This was her farewell as she died suddenly the next day.  “Mom” asked for things from me. I always keep a photo collage she made for me, and a large teddy bear with my dog’s ashes in it. We put ashes into a pocket over the bear’s heart and she sewed on a beautiful heart with lace and ribbon to remember our dear girl.

That is how I think of her, as a big heart with ribbons and lace and seeing her dear husband once again. In memory, Dee