My Dear Friend Leslie

I lost my best friend Leslie to breast cancer in June and I miss her so very, very much. Leslie loved the holidays. After Thanksgiving she used to get all dolled up in Christmas sweaters, holiday jewelry, and those crazy socks that just rocked her world. My wonderful friend was a walking Christmas cliche, but on her those Christmas doodads looked absolutely right.

This will be my first Christmas Eve in almost two decades without her cheery, comforting, and beautiful presence. Leslie was so beloved by all that over 400 people attended her funeral. There was not a dry eye in the house, but there were also a lot of lovely smiles as we recalled her humor and laughter.

I will be gone during the next few days, so I will leave you with these thoughts:

Hold your family close to you.

Tell your close friends you love them.

Give an abandoned pet a second chance.

Wish for peace in Darfur where the genocide is ongoing. Contact one of the many Lost Boys in your region and give them a phone card that can reach Africa. (So they can call and support those that are left behind.)

Don't put something off for tomorrow that you can do today.

Take one minute every day to live purely in the moment. (Touch, sight, scent, intuitive self.)

Cherish life.

Cherish our environment and all the creatures in it.

Be a loving, caring person to all, even those people you can barely stand.

Be your own best friend.

Here's a cartoon Leslie would have loved. (She was one of those friends who forwarded scads of email funnies every day.)

Best wishes for a beautiful holiday season and New Year!