Vanilla Ice Cream with Caramel...

So I keep typing and then erasing what I type. I seem to be having a hard time figuring out how to write this post...

In my line of work, I get to know some truly amazing people. They become friends who are willing to share their lives with me. They know all about my life and my babies and our adventures. We share good times and bad. The part that never gets easy is watching these friends pass away.

I recently lost one of my dear friends. She is one of the most amazing women I have ever known. She lived with a disease that left her mind in tact while it took her body prisoner. Her last few months were spent trapped inside of a body that had given up on her.

She faced this disease with more courage than most thought possible and she fought until the very end. Many didn't understand why she fought as long as she did. I don't know that anyone could truly understand her fight unless they were in her shoes. Her faith throughout her disease process will always be an inspiration to me. I love my job because I get to work with people like her. I work hard to make a difference in some one's life. They, in turn, make me a better therapist and teach me lessons that I will always remember.

Vanilla ice cream with caramel? It was my sweet treat tonight. And my friend's favorite dessert. Besides a Wendy's frosty, of course. I fixed her countless bowls of ice cream with caramel over the last year. And I don't think I can ever eat a bowl of it without thinking of her and the mark she left on me. She taught me to face everything in life with courage, to live life to the fullest, to never give up, and to enjoy the little things in life...like caramel sauce;)

I don't know that I can ever articulate the impact she had on me. I take comfort in knowing that she is now free from the confines of her body. She has been reunited with her husband in heaven and I like to think that I have 2 beautiful guardian angels with a great sense of humor watching down over me now.