My Tribute To A Wonderful Gal

Saturday, March 15, 2008, Stan and I attended a "Celebration of Life" in Salem, Illinois and I was asked to speak about my dear friend Linda. Truly this was one of the hardest tasks I have endured in my lifetime, (besides labor).
Linda was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia in 2004, and received an exact match stem cell transplant from her sister. Her health was much improved for 2 years, but regressed this past year. She was a fighter until the end, she told me one week prior she was tired. I loved her.

The following is my tribute:
In 1975, we moved to Fairbanks, Alaska and I met a warm, enthusiastic, strong, organized woman who was an inspiration to others, AND we are both "Leos". While working as a new RN at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, I met my best friend, the sister I never had. The most caring, intelligent, and best nurse I have encountered in my professional career. We became fast friends, she at 5' 11, size 11 shoe, me at 5"4, size 5 1/2 shoe. She called me her "little buddy." She often teased me about my 3rd grade style hand writing, well, have any of you seen her printing? We were neighbors, and car pooled to work, we baked cookies, and she introduced me to Constant Comment Tea. We laughed and joked daily. She was frequently supervisor on our Med/Surg floor & was always willing to STEP UP (another Linda term), and start an IV, insert an NG tube, give a bath or answer call lights. When my son was born, Linda was the obvious choice to be his God Mother.
We have stayed in touch these 33 years, through moves, second marriages, children & the BELOVED GRANDCHILDREN. I introduced her to paper towels, she had never used them at home, she insisted they be white, and speaking of white, Linda, RN, MSN, always wore WHITE uniforms. She had a black long haired dog named PUPPY who jumped and licked, Linda would tell her BACK OFF PUPPY, this became our "catch all phrase", when we were annoyed with something.
In 1983, we went to the Phoenix Zoo, with Andrea, (her daughter), and my children, it was 113 degrees that day, she never let me forget it, and reminded me often, during our long phone conversations.
Linda was NOT a fan of costume jewelry, she liked REAL diamonds, REAL pearls, and Real gold. Yes my friend, these are REAL pearls from Singapore.(I wore mine).
We visited Linda & Mike at their beautiful home in October, we sat in her favorite room, the Sun Room. We reminisced, laughed, told stories & cried, and we drank Constant Comment Tea. She had told me numerous times about the deer that drank & fed at the pond & how much she enjoyed watching them. WELL, the deer were a NO SHOW that day! I teased her they were mechanical deer, and weren't plugged in, you know, like something at Disneyland!
Linda was a Neil Sadaka fan, WHO KNEW? A line in one of his songs is "I'll build a stairway to heaven because heaven is where you are". God needed a good nurse in heaven. So here's to you , Linda, your little buddy loves you. (I then raised a tea cup of Constant Comment tea).