I mentioned an “unexpected loss” in my last post. A very dear friend passed away a couple of weeks ago, just four months after her sister, another dear friend, also died. We are all reeling from this, none more than the surviving sister who was a tower of strength and love to them both.
I will miss Kathleen (“Dinks” to her family and close friends) more than I can say. I got to know her about five years ago, and that we should have become so close is a bit of a mystery as she was a good 35 years older than I. Nevertheless, she loved to laugh, tell stories, was generous to a fault, and utterly devoted to her family. She would cross the Atlantic twice a year, every year, even into her 90’s, to see her daughter in England and her son in Dubai. And whenever she would return, the Mister and I would send some “welcome home” flowers. She would call us up and leave a message that went something like – “I’m just so delighted…no, wait a minute, I’m not delighted. No, I’m cross, yes, very cross with you! I told you it wasn’t necessary to send me flowers, but you’ve been naughty again. Yes, very naughty indeed!” I will miss her gentle sham-scolding.
On one of her hops across the pond a few years back, I sent her a letter in England to lift her spirits in case she was feeling homesick. She was so happy to receive it, thereafter I sent her a letter every time she was overseas, to her obvious delight. I would recount the news round about, and whatever silly situation the Mister or I had got ourselves into. She read the letters again and again, read them to her children, and then read them again to her sisters when she returned.
There were eight letters in all. Yesterday, I ran them all off, put them in a binder, and labelled it “Dearest Dinks” – which was how I opened every letter. Then I presented it last night to her surviving sister, who was, well, deeply grateful, although she too tried to scold. (Didn’t work with Dinks, and it ain’t workin’ with her either!) Sometime in the future, I’ll ask her if it would be alright to share some of the letters online.
Dinks, Shirley, we mourn the terrible space you’ve left in our lives, but we are so grateful, so blessed to have known you and loved you and been loved by you. Thanks for coming into our lives.
Thanks for everything.
