Wednesday, March 1, 2017
I first met Joan 45 years ago, when Kristin and I were in diapers. So, she never came into my life, she was simply an integral part of it just as any family member is. Joan was my Mom's best friend, Skip was my Dad's, and Kristin was mine. No words declaring such were exchanged, no bff necklaces given. It was a quiet comforting knowledge of what simply just WAS. My childhood is packed full of the four of them sitting around a table (always the epicenter of an Irish household) laughing, smoking, drinking way too much coffee/beer. While Kristin and I utilized this time too often getting into some sort of shenanigans. Which Joan was quite often the only one to catch us!
It was the 70's, a wonderful decade packed with summer vacations, winter blizzards hunkered down, Friday night pizza and regular sleepovers that included the adults well into our teen years.
Sadly, people change and grow apart. Life gets busy and somehow we all went our separate ways. My parents ended their 40 year marriage, Kristin and I went off to college and the military, got married, had children. A few years ago we reconnected. I couldn't be more blessed than to have not only these amazing childhood memories with these beautiful people. But to have seen Joan again, just recently and feel her arms wrap around me, as they did when I was just a little girl. Joan set an example for us. She worked hard at any job she held. She treated her home like a palace and took great pride in running a tight ship. She put love into her delicious meals, even after a hard day at work. Even in her final weeks, she greeted me with a cup of coffee and the same hospitality I remembered from 20 years before. She never broke down or showed weakness, even under duress. She had the ability to tell.you straightforward what she thought with a brutal honestly that was softened by that adorable smirk and twinkling eyes that gleamed love. She was old school and yielded that wooden spoon to put the fear of God in you, but God help anyone that caused us girls any harm. I like to think she had a hand in raising me as much as my own mother. I thank God had such a loving, strong and beautiful woman influence my life so greatly. But, I will not grieve the loss of her. She wouldn't tolerate it! Instead I will celebrate everything she was to me and to my best friend. She has been relieved of the fight. And I have no doubt she is still guiding us and we will meet again someday. Until then, thank you Joan, for everything you were
