rest easy...

How is it only 7:21 am and so much has already happened?  I have barely been out of bed for two hours - I needed to sleep today.  But in that time, there was a massive puppy love fest, Hubs got a haircut, and I washed and labeled all 67 jars of produce that I canned yesterday.  Sweet Hubs has already put them away.  And as I sat down to type, I noticed a text message from a friend.  I'd just talked to her yesterday, she'd let me know that one of our friends was in the hospital and not expected to make it much more than another six months. This morning I found out that she passed away.

There was a point in time that she was an incredibly important part of my life.  But as life does, we'd grown very far apart.  I don't think we'd talked in probably a year.  If not more.  She retired and went on living her life, I stayed busy working for a bit longer.  By the time I changed my life, too many things had happened, too much time had passed.  We were never really close again. 

I loved her to the moon and back.  I did everything I could for her.  She was important to me and I felt very protective of her.  And everyone knew she was protective of me.  She was like my work mom in many ways. She sat with me for hours while Hubs had the critical revision of his hip replacement, while we waited to find out if his leg and life could be saved.  We laughed a lot.  We even shared my dear Hubs - he was her work husband - she took complete responsibility for his naughty twelve year old side. 

I will miss knowing that somewhere in this city she is safe and living her life.  But I know that she was tired, she'd been struggling for a while.  It was time for her to rest I guess.  I often miss her crazy laughter and wicked sense of humor.  So many times she told me that if things ever got bad in this world she was coming to my house, because she knew I would take care of her. 

I hate that things got in the way of the beauty that was our friendship.  She was a very special person in many ways.  And just like all of us life beat her up.  I hope that heaven welcomed her with open arms and a host of friends and loved ones that left before she did.  

It feels so ironic.  Just last night I was watching a YouTube video by one of my favorite folks.  She was talking about not putting off doing things.  That it's important to move and do when you feel that you should.  To stay focused in life.  She was speaking in terms of gardening and taking care of your family, but in retrospect it could apply to everything in life.  

I had a totally different plan for today's blog, a thought that had been cooking in my brain during the long hours of putting up produce yesterday.  Today is not the day.  It needs to wait. It needs to simmer a bit longer.  Today, I feel an urge to simply get busy.  

Rest in Peace Betty Simmons... you were one of my dearest B's for a very long time.  I will forever cherish the moments we shared... I love you...