Emily and I met and became best friends in the 7th grade. We may have looked like an unlikely pair, but we had the same sense of humor and way of thinking. We grounded each other and just loved being friends. There were six kids in her family; and she had a really cool older sister and a really hot middle brother that I always thought would someday see me as more than just Emily's friend. But alas: nope!
Anyhoo, we have remained really close even after all these years. Whenever she would come up to visit her family, we would always try to get together to catch up. Or on her drive up from the state where she lives, she would call me and we would talk to make the miles go faster for her.
Emily was one of the first people I contacted, after family, when my sister died. She knew I would need to hear her voice. And then: just a few months later, she called me because she needed to hear my voice. Her little sister Michelle had been fighting cancer for years and Emily said to me, "I think it's time. I know the timing is horrible but could you help me plan my sister's funeral?" She thought I wouldn't want to do it because Robin's passing had been so recent, but I said, "Of course I will help you. Tell me what you need."
But like many times before, Michelle beat the odds and there was no funeral needed...
Until now. I woke up at 2:45 a.m.Wednesday morning to a group text from Emily and our other best friend Robbin. Michelle finally succumbed to cancer Monday, March 15th, 2021. Due to covid and Michelle's weakened immune system, Emily hadn't seen her in exactly a year. She didn't want to take a chance with her sister's safety and no one can blame her. But of course she wishes she had seen her just one more time.
My sister Robin and her sister Michelle were friends. They had gone to school together and were the same age. Now Emily and I, sadly, share this similar loss. The only difference is that she got to have Michelle for five extra years.
Emily, I love you and wish that you and your family didn't have to go through this grief. Cherish all of the memories of Michelle. She truly was an amazing woman, a fighter and a warrior. She beat leukemia during her childhood and fought cancer with a vengeance as an adult. Yes you wish you had had more time, that covid hadn't been such a bitch to keep you from her, but God knew she was weary and wanted her home with Him, your mother and your father. So celebrate her life, not her death. And take comfort in knowing that her last breath on earth was her first breath in Heaven. 💔💖🙏
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