On a shelf in the closest of the room we use at my mother's house when we go home for Christmas sits a gaily wrapped present.
Each year while Denny and I are in Ohio, we make plans to meet with Marilyn, who hired on at the police department with me in 1979 as a group of five new civilian hires who were going to replace the police officers who manned the police dispatch section. We have lunch at the China Cottage and exchange birthday presents, because I was born a few days before Christmas and Marilyn was born a few days after and we've always felt a bit slighted in the birthday gift department due to being born so close to the holiday. Marilyn was also a dance instructor who always decorated her Christmas tree with ornaments relating to ballet, so it became a tradition for me to buy her the most unusual dance related ornaments I could find.
This past Christmas Marilyn and I were unable to arrange a suitable day to meet due to her work and all the craziness that is Christmas, so her present still sits on the shelf.
Now I'm going to ask my mother mail that present to me and I'll unwrap it and hang that ballet ornament over my desk as a reminder to make time for our friends and family no matter what seems to stand in the way.
Marilyn passed away at 1:20 AM this morning from complications from the recently discovered cancer in her brain.
2 comments:
I'm sorry for your loss. It's easy to say that she lives on in your memories, but I believe it's true.
Oh Linda, I am so sorry. This is so very sad. Yes you are so right. We must remember to hug the ones we love. My heart goes out to you and Marilyn's family.
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