"walking each other home..."

I'm never sure how to greet this date each year.

February 16 is like a door. This date opens onto a path that gently begins a couple of weeks filled with memories of beloved friends.

It is often hard to look at a date as the marker for when a friend died. But I do this to honor their memory and share the gratitude for how their friendships brought delight and love into my life..

Today, February 16, I honor Mattie. In the picture below, Mattie is the woman on the left with beautiful black hair and a porcelain face. She was a nurse practitioner and worked in an office with a surgeon (the woman on the right). They focused on breast cancer, but the practice was a place where many people found medical care.

She was creative and resourceful. Her faith was strong and contagious. Her patients knew that she prayed for them -caring for them spiritually as well as physically.

Beth and Mattie...

Tomorrow, February 17, I honor Beth. In the picture above, Beth is the woman on the right with mischievous eyes and a bold smile. Beth was the surgeon in this practice. She was a force to be reckoned with! The most complicated medical situation would pull her focus until she found the answer - the answer that would bring healing and wholeness. Many people believe that their lives were saved because of her resourceful and tenacious practice.

Vickie Peterson

February 24 will be the day when I honor Vicki. Vicki was like a sister. A social worker and ally alongside people with disabilities, we had many common interests. We shared dreams and survived life's ‘crazy’ with laughter and good wine.

All three of these women left us way too early. They each had cancer. They were resourceful and surrounded by good medicine and support.

Facts surrounding their illness and death are not really what I write about tonight. Each had a strong and honest story of their journey through illness and health.

I write tonight, preparing to remember the lives they lived—the life we shared.

There comes a time when saying goodbye to friends seems more natural. The years can add up to a life well lived.

This was not the case when saying goodbye to these friends. They had certainly lived full lives, but the number of years didn’t add up to be enough.

I miss each of them. I continue to be grateful that our paths crossed.

The quote introducing this post, attributed to Ram Dass, speaks to our shared journey through life. We don’t know what we will face on this journey but the tender words remind us we are not alone.

I will wander in memories for the next week or two. Glad for the chance to reconnect. Emotions will get the best of me at times, but I will take this opportunity to give thanks for each of them today and…

Always.