People who inspire others to be even better

    When I was in grade nine I went to a high school where I knew no one. I remember coming in the doors and not even knowing where to find my classes. I was shy and probably seemed standoffish because of it. Let’s face I was not a cookie cutter person either. I was quirky and didn’t quite fit in. It was on the second day of school, I met Rose.

       Did you ever have one of those friends, that when they came in the room it was better for it? That was Rose. She was one of those people, that other people were drawn to like bees to honey. She was kind and inclusive of all. She showed me where things were in the school and became my friend as well as introduced me to her sidekick Lucy(who also became my friend). School was better with Rose in it.

       We were both in music and choir and she had the most beautiful operatic voice you’d ever hear. The teacher thought with lessons she could certainly be an opera singer, but Rose had other plans to what she wanted to do.  Rose wanted to continue helping people.  When I ate lunch it was with Rose and her friends who became mine. She made my high school experience and my life better just by being in it.

       At the end of grade nine, she was the one to encourage me to ask out the boy I liked, to the Sadie Hawkins dance (where the girls ask the boys) even though she also liked him. She knew that we liked each other, that is how giving she was. The night was fun despite the fact that my date broke his leg six weeks before and had just gotten his cast off (but that’s another story).We lost  touch when he moved away. A year ago he got in touch through Rose, and we remain friends.

     Rose was fun and told many a joke. She made everyone smile. Faces would light up when they saw her.

All through high school she was one of my closest friends. So much so that when I married after school, she came to my wedding and then was there for the birth of my first child. Life got busy and I lost touch with her though I heard she married and moved out of province and then suddenly she was on Facebook. It was like there was no gap in time we talked regularly; although sometimes two weeks would go by or even a month we’d talk about our lives our children. She loved her husband and felt like I do about mine, that he was her soul mate and best friend. She was so proud of her son and daughter. We talked Wedding details leading up to her daughter’s wedding, as I had just gone through a wedding for my daughter. Distance didn’t matter. She lived on the opposite side of the country and I really didn’t have the funds to visit though I wanted to. We just continued to talk on Facebook chat and in messages, sending each other pictures and often reading their messages I heard her voice from school in my head.

A week and half ago she posted her last message to me on my birthday.

“Happy birthday sweetie-pie! You're the best! Good health, happiness and God's blessings for you on your special day”

        I will treasure those last words forever, as two days later she died, though I didn't know until yesterday. They say that people live on forever in words and deeds, and if that is true, then I know my dearest friend will live forever in our hearts. for she was all things, a wonderful loving wife, and mother to two wonderful individuals, a mother -in-law and the dearest most  loyal friend a person could ever have.Anyone who ever met her would consider her their friend.

        My dear friend Rose you will be missed, my heart breaks and tears flow from my eyes, selfishly knowing I will not see your lovely face for awhile;I know someday I'll see you again.Until then dear friend  I love you and I will always speak of you.

RIP Rose July 29, 1959-May30,2012

(Rose at graduation)

For Rose because she was our Angel.