Goodbye, Holly

My dear, dear friend Holly Reed passed away this weekend, after a long battle with cancer.  Many people in her life never even knew she was sick until the last couple months; even I only knew she was sick for a handful of months, though she had lived with cancer for six years. That’s how much bigger than cancer Holly was.  She didn’t just live every day to its fullest, she lived every minute, and every space between every minute to the fullest.  I only knew Holly for three years, but I will spend the rest of my life remembering and missing her. 

I miss my friend who could turn a room full of strangers into a room full of friends; who made everything in life more fun; who was never afraid of trying something new.

I miss my friend who could pack more into a day than most people can in a week; who was never in a hurry; who couldn’t stand to throw away Ziploc bags; who would host a raucous New Year’s party and then gather up the confetti to use again next year.

I miss my friend who noticed and remembered all the details about you that you might have forgotten yourself; who was as comfortable in her own beautiful home as she was sleeping on a cot in her backyard; who still believed in Santa Claus; who loved to start a good book but could never finish reading it.

I miss my friend who played along with the kids on their play dates.

And who was Rocco’s best friend.

And who was everyone’s number one fan.

Holly, I miss you.  I am your number one fan. 

Me and a thousand other people.

And because you never would have said it yourself, I’ll say it for you: It’s not fair.