Donna

Suddenly, without warning, the blog starts up again.

It's been a month so you would figure that I should have many new insights to share. I don't. The only event of note that has occurred is the passing of Donna. Donna was married to Charlie who is Linda's brother. Thus, Donna was Linda's sister-in-law, and since Linda and I have been "spousal" for over nineteen years, I can consider Donna to have been my sister-in-law also. Yet, by being an only child, the concept of brothers and sisters remains to be a vague experience for me. Without sharing my childhood with a sibling, I can never truly know what it is like to have a brother or sister. But I can state with certainty that if I were lucky enough to have had a sister, I could not do better than having that person be Donna. I am not alone in this perception.

Yesterday was Donna's funeral. It was the biggest turnout I have ever seen for such an occasion. I knew Donna was loved and had many friends, but I was dumbstruck to see the size of the crowd that attended her burial. If my own demise has one tenth of the attendance, then I will have left this existence knowing I was rich beyond measure with friends.

Donna died from skin cancer last Sunday. Linda and I went out there earlier that day. It was a somber party that gathered, a sad conference of friends and relations praying for miracles. The only miracle was Donna's pain and suffering ending. Bittersweet the release when the time came for the final goodbye.

Yesterday, as friends and relatives celebrated her life, the earth still revolved on its axis, its pulse noticeably dulled. Those left behind have had their lives enriched by crossing Donna's path. We are saddened she is gone, but oh how grateful we are that she once was.