Friends

Yesterday I received word that my friend Vashni passed away. She has been bravely battling cervical cancer and, despite her determination and will to live, she succumbed in her home. While I find some solace that my friend was surrounded by her family and felt an abundance of love during her final days, her passing remains difficult to comprehend.

Between learning of Vashni's passing, the hurricane, and Halloween, this week is ending with me frazzled, disorganized, and exhausted. I am amazed by the amount of clutter, excess laundry, and dirty dishes that Scott and Robby created during their days off of school. Looking around, I feel overwhelmed and unsure where to begin. I know that I need to stop fretting and start cleaning because time is of the essence. I have company arriving in a few hours!

Several of Vashni's mutual friends are going to be staying at my house in preparation for our race on Sunday.  Despite her passing, we have decided to proceed with our plans to walk in the National Race to Cure Women's Cancers.  Although the timing is bittersweet, I know that she would support our decision to walk. I can think of no better way to honor a great woman than to stand united while trying to cure the disease which took her life!

It is mornings like this I wish I had a fairy godmother. I'd ask her to clean my house, or at least hide the clutter, so that I could recover from and reflect on the past few days. Unfortunately I think that she must have been distracted because, despite wishing upon more than one star, my house is still a mess. I guess I have no choice but to turn off the computer and turn on the vacuum.

Although I am woefully unprepared for company, I am happy to open my home during this difficult time. Being together will help us all mourn our friend and celebrate her life. I'm glad that, in the smallest of ways, I can help with our mutual healing. Thankfully girl friends are forgiving of misplaced toys and dirty dishes as long as we are together and have chocolate!