October 14, 2004

Goodbye, Lisa

I was on the train coming back from Philly late yesterday afternoon when my office called me on my cell to tell me that I had received a phone call from an unnamed woman who wanted me to know that my friend Lisa had succumbed to breast cancer the day before and was going to be buried that day. Jews bury their dead within 24 hours, you know. It was a foul up from my office that I only got the message so late, but it didn't matter, I was not able to go anyway. I shut my phone off and tried to think about what I was going to say to her husband or her two young children. This is what I've decided to do. I'm going to send her husband a codolence card but I'm also going to send her kids a letter telling them what kind of special woman their mother was. I hope that by doing that, I can help her kids when they get older and their memories of her have dimmed.

I'm very sad today. Lisa was a remarkable woman.

Lisa. October 12, 2004.

The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation will get money to those who can spend it best. I'm just saying.

Posted by Random Penseur at October 14, 2004 11:02 AM
Comments

rp,
i am sorry to hear about your friend.
thoughts are with her family and children.
i think the idea of a letter to them...is very thoughtful...and something that will be very appreciated by them as they go through life.

Posted by: standing naked at October 14, 2004 02:10 PM

RP,
I'm so sorry for your loss. I agree with SN that a letter to the children is an absolutely lovely idea. GQ

Posted by: grammarqueen at October 14, 2004 04:36 PM

My condolences to the family. I am sorry for the loss of your friend RP. I do think the letter sounds like a good idea. How old are the children? To have a keepsake like that is very important.

Posted by: Rachel Ann at October 14, 2004 05:12 PM

Wishing a long life to all.

Posted by: Simon at October 15, 2004 04:13 AM

Random, so sorry to hear about your friend. I hope the best for her family.
I think the letter is a wonderful idea!

Posted by: Mick at October 15, 2004 11:52 AM

So very very sorry, Random.

An aquaintance of ours lost his young wife in a horrific car accident just a few months ago. Another driver had a stroke while driving a few blocks away and ended up flooring her car through the intersection, hitting our friend's wife's car who was sitting innocently at the light at about 90 miles an hour. She has left a grieving husband and two small children behind. He was in shock for a long time, of course.

Well, actually...we all were. :-(

{{{{hugs}}}}


Posted by: Amber at October 15, 2004 02:16 PM

Very sorry for you loss RP.
My wife had a very close friend of the family die of ovarian cancer a few years back, it was tough. She has some mementos to remind her, and they are very precious.

Posted by: Oorgo at October 15, 2004 04:08 PM

RP,

Sorry to hear about that. Great idea, though, on the letter. That is one of the coolest things I've heard in quite a while.

Posted by: Howard at October 16, 2004 10:46 AM

Sad sad news, RP, my condolences to all who knew Lisa -- especially the kids.
Great idea on the letter.

Posted by: Tuning Spork at October 16, 2004 07:26 PM
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