We Have the Best Friends in the Whole World

This was our saying..."We have the best friends in the whole world!" It was the way we ended conversations, the way we started conversations, and the way we said thank you to one another.  It was also the way we said goodbye to our dear friend, Tricia.

This past week, one of my best friends died suddenly.  It was unexpected. It was shocking. It literally pulled my feet out from underneath me.  But as I entered the funeral home on Tuesday evening, I realized it was true.  I had been with my family on the east coast when I first heard she was very ill, then learned she had passed away.  Thank goodness for cell phones and the ability to reach each other even when traveling.

While far away from home, I was able to compartmentalize the whole situation.  I had very difficult moments while talking with my friends back home, and yet because I was so far away...it didn't seem real.  I immediately booked a flight home, my family would stay out east and drive back as planned later in the week.  I was terrified of going through this experience without my husband by my side...but as soon as I booked my flight, I had four offers from my close circle of girlfriends to pick me up from the airport.  As much as I wanted my husband to be my rock, deep down I knew that our circle of friends would keep us all standing through this difficult experience. Another one of our girlfriends was in a similar situation and had just arrived in Washington DC with her family, only to have to get on a flight Tuesday morning to head home also.

The wake for our friend was beautiful.  And I was amazed at all the people who traveled such a long distance to be there.  Friends who had moved as far south as Florida, friends who had moved to the west coast, friends who literally heard the news and ended their own family vacations...all because of the incredible friend that Tricia was to us.  There was no question...we all had to be there for her and her family.  Tricia's family...an amazing clan of seven brothers and sisters and two incredibly generous parents.  As we greeted each sibling, the response was always the same, "Oh, I am so sorry!" That was the generosity of this family that always thought of the other and what he or she was going through, all the while experiencing a grief of their own beyond words. Amazing.

There were very few seats empty in our church for the funeral mass.  There were also very few dry eyes.  As Tricia's sister read a brief eulogy (so gracefully, I might add), she shared a thought that has stayed with me. I am sure these are not the exact words used, but the sentiment is the same. Grief gets easier each day, and while we miss the last day we saw her, we can feel peace knowing that as each day passes, we are closer to seeing her again.

As we ended our formal farewells to our dear friend, my circle of friends gathered on our own to remember together and celebrate her life.  And as we did, we held each other's hands when needed, shared tissues when needed, and made each other laugh when really needed.  I don't know how else I could have gotten through this day.  None of us has the chance to see each other regularly.  Many I have not seen in nearly a year. And yet...when we are together it is as if time stood still.  No one questions another's intentions. Deep down, we know we will always be there for one another. It may not always be in person, but it is always in our hearts.

And so I once again finding myself saying...We Have the Best Friends in the Whole World!  I am truly blessed.