May 21st 2011, my best friend left me.  She did not mean to, but she had to go.  It was her time.  I had to be strong, even though I did not want to I had to.  I had two daugthers looking at me for strength so I had to show what was not there.  I had to reach way down deep inside and find the strength and courage that she always taught me and the strength that he had taught me and the strength he was showing and using.  It was not going to be easy but it is a road that he always told us about for years and years; a road that he said travlers are known to go but never return, but in this life everyone must take a turn, that is just life.  It was just her turn.  We thought she would never get a turn, we grew up believing that, we were only fooling ourselves, it was self comforting, it only hurt us in the end.  I thought I would fall apart, I thought that I would not be able to go on but he sat me down and said think about what she would say, what would she want, picture her sitting in her chair talking to you and your daugthers, think about how mad she would be at you for trying to stop living.......you know he was right!  My dad was right and it was not fair to him, he was still here, he was going on, what was I thinking......I am going on and so are her grandaugthers I have some of her things they remind me daily of how wonderful she was, I look at my dad and I think he is going on; so can I mom is still here; she lives in our hearts, our memories and always will.  When I look at her pictures.....I smile when I look at my oldest child who looks just like her I smile even harder.  Man was not meant to stay here forever, that is just the fact of life, it is appointted once for every man to die, some sooner than others.  Just make the most of every minute!  I did.

sherry/smomdukes