The first was Ann, she has stood by me through every mountain and every valley of life. She has it! She is kind, gentle, smart, and tells a girl the truth when it needs to be told. She propped me up like a mountain on either side when Savanna was diagnosed with cancer. She used to come to work on her time off for emergencies to help.  She loved what she was doing so much and her desire to learn was enormous. She passed her registry in record time and never missed a beat. She met her husband and they had a baby named Hannah...a bit of miracle in itself. She goes about quietly doing the right thing with a clean heart and the persistence of a mama cougar, she does not give up on you and she does not waver from her goal. Ann is probably the only natural blonde I have ever known as an interesting aside. She used to have a nickname of Sunshine and that is Ann, SUNSHINE! I will never forget you.

Next, I will speak of Jennie. It was one of the lowest times of my life...low...rock bottom. I had nowhere to go as my husband would not let me come home since he had a new woman and I had taken a gigantic emotional and spiritual spill. I was busted like an egg on the sidewalk. I was like a fish that only had bones left: that the meat had been picked down to the skeleton. Hope had left my house. Jennie came in and offered me a roof over my head; even more, she offered a home and understanding. It was God. She taught me God is good but He is not always safe. God gave me back all that  had been taken and more. He gave me back my job, my children, my faith, my heart, and he gave me hope. He uses people often as His hands and feet and Jennie was His chosen vessel. We did not have TV as far as cable and we did not have a great deal of money but we had GOD.  We laughed so much and so often. We truly were meant to be best friends for that season and she was a rock. She is smart, funny, and wise.  What the enemy took:;God gave back four fold. I went from hope to a great degree of peace with my God and He re-built me layer upon layer and made me a better person for it all. Jennie will never be forgotten. She is filled with integrity and honesty. She held my feet to the fire and she held my hand.

Linda was not as close a friend but a hero for me. When she had her baby it was not perfect so her husband said goodbye and left her to raise the baby. Linda had seizures so had to have transportation to work. She worked in a clerical position so money was scarce. She sacrificed and then she sacrificed a bit more. Her son received the medical help he needed and she put him through college and she went to that clerical job every day. She was diagnosed with cancer and worked every day until she could not put one foot in front of the other. Her death was swift once she could no longer work. She was sent on a cruise with friends and I am so so thankful there was a bit of time for Linda. She was in a wheerchair on the cruise. I would ask how she was feeling after a round of chemo or blood transfusions and she would say "pretty good, Melanie, thanks for asking". She would come to work many days after a chemo or radiation treatment. She paid a price but I know she is wearing a golden crown now with gorgeous stones for she is a hero... a righteous true hero.  She just would not complain or whine. She always would say she was worried for her son after she passed. Selfish, no, she was not. She gave her all for her son. I would try to eat lunch with her because she inspired me. It was never pity. I want to grow up to be as strong as Linda.

Lastly, was Sharon. She impacted my life as quickly as a bullet hitting the center of a target. She came in like a hurricane, picked me up, put her arms around me and NEVER let go when my precious Phoebe was taken way too young.. Sharon was all the planets aligned perfectly; she was the sun and the moon and the stars. She opened my mind to new ideas and we shared so many spiritual concepts. We were different from each other and we were perfect together. We shared to the core with nothing held back. She was my spiritual mentor, my heart, and the best friend I have ever known, or will know. She had boundless energy and then cancer came knocking on her door. It knocked quickly and it took my Sharon and I am mad. I am mad as hell at cancer. I want her back, I sometimes think I would be talking to Sharon right now and then I remember. She would call and say, " Let me get in the bath so I can breath better as I want to talk to you". She could barely breath and she kept reaching out because she loved me and my granddaughter, Savanna. Savanna has battled brain cancer for the last two years. Sharon was a shooting star in my life. I miss her intense light and love every single day but I was honored and blessed to have been her friend. What an honor! She never faltered and she never bent. She was my Sharon.