On August 4, 2007, my sister's friend Jodi passed away unexpectedly, after complications following surgery. Jodi was also a friend of the family, and had just recently celebrated her 50th birthday. This is the letter which I now wish I had written to Jodi for her birthday, but I did not, because I thought I had plenty of time to tell her how special she was to all of us whose lives she touched.
Dear Jodi,
Happy 50th! It's been an incredible pleasure knowing you these past ten years. There is hardly a conversation that my sister has about work that doesn't include you, and your friendship and humor. You have been such an important part of her life that I felt like you were family from the first moment I met you. Thank you for making her laugh, for taking care of her, for offering advice, and for knowing when not to! I also want to thank you for all of the ways in which you embraced my family with your generosity and talents. Somehow, you knew that our family would appreciate bashing a peppermint candy pig into smitherines with a hammer more than most families, and we awaited your Christmas Eve call each year so that we could share our enthusiasm with you. Thank you, too, for the beautiful, artistic cakes you made to help us celebrate family milestones, and for everytime I asked for a helping hand on behalf of Jennifer, and you always said yes. I hope that your 50th birthday is the beginning of a wonderful new time of life for you and I look forward to sharing many more memories with you. Love, Kerri
I choose to believe that Jodi can see this message and knows how much she is loved and missed, and I will do my part to keep her here in memory and spirit.
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