Friday, November 20, 2009

Best Friends!


These pictures were taken this past summer at the Orrington Hotel, downtown Evanston, Illinois.
My two best friends from high school and I decided that we needed a girls weekend to catch up. We had talked about doing something like this for a few years and plans just fell into place this year.

Diane is the beautiful brunette in the pictures,who traveled all the way from Costa Mesa, California. She has three beautiful girls and works for the Costa Mesa school district. She used to live just a couple of blocks from me growing up and we were constantly at each others house!
These days we instant message each other all the time . The only thing that interferes with that is when her boss walks in! Tisk... don't they realize that we are discussing important global events!!!!

My gorgeous hairless friend Suzi traveled from a little closer to home, Wisconsin. She has two wonderful children and has found happiness again in 2002 by marrying a wondeful man that calls her his "trophy wife." every chance he gets!
She's been so strong in her convictions ever since I've known her from high school. She emailed us not that long ago,with her new plan to crash one of the many "tea party" events near her home. Her last comment to us was " they won't throw out a bald lady with cancer!"

When I was diagnosed with Leukemia last year, I called Suzi for guidance and knowledge. She had been diagnosed with Myeloma in 2003. She emailed and called me 3 or 4 times a week, with information about everything cancer related. She told me all the time that I wasn't a statistic and that new discoveries were happening in the field of blood cancers all the time. In other words, she had my back!

The best part, was that she helped me cure my spirit. I was living in such fear after my unfortunate first oncologist visit and I felt so helpless and hopeless against the disease!

We had a great time this last summer, laughing and talking til dawn. We traveled around Evanston reliving memories, singing our high school football fight song at the top of our lungs. In the evening, we would go to a great restaurant, sharing food and laughing until we were stuffed! We did all the dorky things that you do when you're with your good girlfriends!

The weekend just flew by and when we gathered at the curb waiting for our cars, we were quiet for the first time since our time together began.
As the valet helped us with out bags, we were forced to say a quick goodbye followed by a big hug! As we parted and left each other's side we made a "same time next year" promise for every year ahead of us!

Suzi gave me so much more then I ever was able to give to her.
Suzi passed away last night from multiple organ failure brought on by the swine flu.

Goodbye my beautiful friend, I will miss you everyday!
I promise to make you proud!

19 comments:

  1. Oh Peggy! You give 'best friends forever' a whole new dimension.

    I'm so glad you have such wonderful summer memories to top up all the ones that went before. I'm so so sorry you're separated for now. I *love* how you've promised to keep fighting and make her proud! I bet she already was, and is.

    Whenever I see a death notice that says someone 'lost' their battle with cancer, I don't like it. Not everyone loses, even if they die. Suzi sounds like such a winner, and such a friend.

    God bless; I wish I could send my biggest hugs through this stupid comment box. I want to.

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  2. wow, how sad yet how wonderful to have such a great friend to support you in your challenges while she was also having her health issues. I think you should meet with other friends next year at the same time and be happy and celebrate the ties that can't be broken. Friends are truly forever and you'll see her again. Right now she's probably cheering you on unseen from the other sight. Hang in there...

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  3. Oh Peggy! I'm so sorry your good friend, Suzi has passed on. I'm glad you had such a great weekend with her and Diane. Hugs my friend and keep fighting the good fight!

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  4. Lin;

    My other girlfriend Diane made our plans for next summer. We knew that Suzi would be there too. Her spirit was larger then life!
    Thanks Lin!

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  5. Joanie;
    Thank you for your hugs and good wishes. I promised Suzi that I would make her proud, and keep fighting!
    Thank you so much!

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  6. Oh Peggy... I'm so sorry. This made me cry for all of you. How very wonderful to have such beautiful, loving, long time friends. Somehow, childhood friends know even more of your past and what makes you who you are. I ache for your loss and am sending you a big hug from all of us. I feel like you'll always have Suzi with you, Peg. She'll be with you in spirit forever.

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  7. Kay;

    Thank you so much. She was such a strong women. I am so proud that she called me her friend!
    I admit that I have great friends and it hurts so much to loose one.
    I still am numb and in shock, I think!
    Hugs for you all!

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  8. Awesome Peggy...!!! love, love, love she helped heal your spirit! God Bless & Prayers so sorry for your loss.

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  9. Thank dars, we all know how loss feels! Not good at all!
    Have a good weekend!

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  10. Oh my. So sorry to read about your loss.

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  11. Thanks so much Abe. Your peony made me smile. It was just great!

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  12. I'm so sorry to read about this. Good friends are hard to find but we're lucky to have them, aren't we?

    You keep on keeping on and getting good reports!

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  13. Oh Peggy I was so sorry to read of the loss of your dear friend. I imagine she is with you in spirit and always will be as your guardian angel. How fortunate you are to have such long-time dear friends. I am sending you a big hug as well!

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  14. I didn't see that ending coming as I was reading your post. I wish that I could do something for you. Today is the [39] anniv. of my father's death, and tomorrow is my mother's [98] birthday. Life is so unpredictable. I hope that you can find strength to get thru this sad time. Sending you a cyberhug.

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  15. Susan;

    What a wonderful comment. Thank you so much for your kind caring words. I just can't get past it yet. I had so much more to say to her. I was just waiting for her to get home and feeling better.
    She has not left me really and in the coming days I will feel that more and more.
    Take care !

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  16. What an awesome time you had!!!! I love it!!!!!

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  17. Very nice tribute. Losing a friend is such a sorrowful thing. Good wishes to you.

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  18. Mare;

    Thank you so much for your cyber hug! Believe me, I feel them!
    Flo is a miracle and you are her angel! Ninety eight is a huge deal. So sorry about your dad's anniversary! My dad died five years ago and it's still sad!

    Kat;
    So nice to hve you back!

    Laoch;
    You're right on!

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  19. Cheryl;
    I thought that I answered your comment but I can't find it now.
    I hadn't thought of suzi as my guardian angel, but that sounds perfect to me. I think once she gets settled, she will be running one of the departments before long!
    :)

    Hope:
    I know that I've now written my reply to you more then once, I'm having so many problems with gremlins in my keytboard!

    I know that we have both experienced loss recently and it's realy hard! When we share our stories I think they help others.
    I still say to myself "what you know good"? Just makes the saddness easier for me! So the memories are the best tonic!

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