What a bad month....

I just found out this afternoon that one of my good friends, Tracy, passed away this morning totally unexpected. Her son found her. She was young...just a few years older than myself.

I've known her for years.....ummm...13 years I suppose. She took me in as a fledgling scrapbooker...they had just opened up the Scrapbook Hideaway. I worked for her and Gina and from that I grew such a huge respect for her. Such an amazing, strong woman with this HUGE love for her boys. They were her entire being. She was the mom that I've always wanted to be.

Throughout the years we became really good friends. She would always just hug me so hard everytime I saw her...I told her everything. We were the kind of friends that we could go a couple months without talking and when we did it was like yesterday...she was that comfortable. She always used to giggle and tell me I was just like her at that age...and I would always respond that I'm glad since it meant I would grow into an awesome person. :) She got me through some really tough times...always encouraging me and being there to support me.

The last few years we were really close and I remember getting one email where she told me that she was so thankful I was in her life and that she has always considered me one of her closest friends....which she could count on one hand. That was such a huge thing.

But I don't think anyone ever knew what good friends we were and at first I was really confused as to why. Then I realized...it's because we were never 'hang out' friends...we didn't go shopping (she didn't like shopping any more than I did!) we never caught a lunch together...we just talked and confided in one another. Sure we would get together from time to time and scrap but never did anything beyond that. We were working on our own theme song....our little inside joke.

About a month ago she emailed me and told me she was sorry she hadn't chatted in awhile but she was going through some health issues but was certain they had figured something out and it should get better from here on out. It freaked me and I called her that night. I left a message and never did hear from her. I called two more times...with no response. Then everything happened with my grama and I failed to call her again.

I wish I would have called her just one more time.