Letter
She’s
not there.
When I
got home from Christmas shopping yesterday I listened to my messages
and got the shock of a lifetime. But before we go there, allow me
to let you in on things as they have unfolded.
My
husband and I contacted our friends awhile back to see how they were
doing and to invite them to lunch; something we’d begun a few years
ago but for one reason or another never seemed to keep up with.
As life
would have it, we lost contact with them until a few weeks ago. My
husband met the husband half of our friends at the supermarket.
They talked briefly but because of all the noise in the store, my
husband only caught, “Joanne has been dealing with her illness so…”
but that’s all he could hear.
When he
got home he told me and I said how important it was for me to get in
touch with Joanne to see what was going on and to invite them to our
house for coffee and to catch up. There was so much I wanted to talk
with both of them about and wanted to hear about them and their
family.
When my
husband and I arrived home on Friday I listened to my phone messages
and heard this; “Elena, did you know that Joanne died on Wednesday!”
I really didn’t hear anything after. I just cried. Now I can’t
make that call because she’s not there.
Our
prayers and tears go out to Frank and his family and we truly morn
for our friend, his wife, Joanne. May God bless and keep Frank
Gianni and his family and may all of us make time to stop for a
moment…just a tiny moment…to let others in our lives know that we
are thinking of them and to wish them happy holidays. What better
time to do that than now.
Elena
Ball
Gilmanton Iron Works
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