My beloved sister-in-law Linda left her mortal coil a year ago today. She was a unique and special soul to say the least. She had the amazing ability to make everyone fall in love with her instantly, which my brother did about 12 years ago when they met and married in 1996.
She died far too young of cancer just before last Christmas. Two months earlier she managed to pull off an incredible birthday bash for my brother which all of their friends and family members attended. Even though it was officially a birthday party for her husband, we all knew deep down that it was really our goodbye kiss to sweet Linda. She barely managed to make it through the party as cancer riddled her body with immense pain. Weeks later she succumbed to the relentless invader and left us.
I could not believe what I witnessed at the wake and funeral. Endless lines of friends and loved ones came to pay their respects and all in tears and all with the same common thread: How full of life Linda was and how much they loved her.
What a beautiful legacy she left behind. She somehow fought off cancer until her son and daughter reached 21 and 18 years of age. Still, even until the very end she never gave up hope. That was her secret. She was always full of hope and love for everyone she encountered, even perfect strangers. She listened to everybody and made them feel as if they mattered and she meant it. What a lovely life lesson.
Moments after getting the heartbreaking news of Linda’s passing I was inspired to write the following poem. I never edited it so I present it as is. Ironically, I later learned how much she always loved angels and collected them.
Here are some songs that helped us heal from the loss of our angel.
