I keep telling myself that.

My world took a big hit recently. My French Friend Janou died suddenly on February 23rd. I was 3000 miles away dealing with 36″ of snow, a disappointing phone call with my oncologist and the realization that the war with Iran meant we would have to cancel our once-in-a-lifetime cruise.

And then the phone call came. I had talked to MFFJ just a few days before and, once again, urged her to take better care of herself, call her doctor. I’d been saying the same things for months.

She had confessed she didn’t feel at all well.

We will never know what happened. And it is so hard to believe that someone who was so energetic and full of life and laughter is gone.

We’d been friends since our daughters were in diapers. We’d met in Paris for a week after our children were no longer in college. And now that we are grandmothers, we’ve watched our grandsons jump off my dock together and eat hot dogs on the porch.

In 2013 I wrote her a Happy Birthday post here on the blog. I’d like to share it again.

my french friend janou’s birthday today! | is there any more pie?

Goodbye, old friend. You are so missed and were so loved.