One whole year...

It has now been a little over a year since my friend Fran passed away.  Her granddaughter is about to celebrate her first birthday... this beautiful baby girl that Fran never did get to see.  I'm hoping beyond all hope that Fran is an angel sitting on that baby's shoulder, watching her smile and play, and hearing her first words.

When we went to NY last summer to see Fran's family, I gave my gold baby bracelet to Fran's son, to give to his little girl when she was old enough to wear it.  I had kept that bracelet for just the right baby, and Fran's granddaughter was indeed the perfect little baby for that slim band of gold.  Fran's son sends me photos of the baby from time to time...... I can see that she's such a happy little girl, and with each set of pictures, she's growing into that great big smile of hers.  Fran has missed so very much, but I'm hoping she's missing nothing at all.

I think of Fran all the time...... she was such a constant in my life for so many years..... all those memories just don't go away.    I still think that the irony of Fran's illness was just so ridiculous..... her voice was taken away before the cancer took her away, and Fran's voice was the most radiant part of her.  I missed hearing her voice long before I had to learn how to miss her.

When Fran's grandbaby was born, I mailed cute little baby outfits to her son and daughter-in-law. All of those little onesie-things are so adorable, you just can't resist buying a bunch of them for newborn babies.  Then I remembered conversations and eMails with Fran..... she wanted to make sure her grandchild would love books, love to read..... and Fran was planning to start collecting books for the baby.   So that's what I've been doing.... finding baby books filled with colorful pictures...... short little stories that babies would like to hear.  I sent them up for the baby's first birthday, and I've got more in the closet waiting for Halloween and Christmas.

Fran's legacy is her family..... a husband, a brother, two wonderful sons, and now this precious little grandbaby girl.  And friends who loved and respected her so much that hardly a day goes by that she isn't in their thoughts.