I don't know about you, but I cannot believe that Christmas is 2 weeks away from today! I am not ready as usual. Cherie and I have procrastinated even putting up our decorations, so here we are, 2 weeks before the big day and we're finally putting up our tree! It seems to get later and later each year. I think Christmas is a wonderful holiday but I can also see why it's the one where most suicides happen. While it can be fun and wonderful and full of lights and laughter, if you are not blessed with certain things in your life it can be a reminder that you are alone.
Cindy, Cherie's older sister and my dearest friend, passed away on December 16, 1993. (The picture above is of Cindy and Cherie when they were younger...Cherie is in the plaid dress and Cindy in the floral) This coming week will mark the 15th anniversary of her passing. It was one of those that is a complete and total shock. There was no terminal illness, no car crash or anything horrific of that nature. She simply went to bed and never woke up. I found her the next evening in bed. Cindy worked nights and was often in bed during the day so that didn't really alert anyone. I was living with her mom and dad at the time, too, so we were upstairs. I went into her room and there she was - looking like she always did when she was asleep. From that point forward my life and the life of Cherie's family was never the same.
Cindy was the reason I came to Indiana in the first place. We had met in college and become very close friends. We did everything together. Our favorite thing while we were in Provo was to go to the Wendy's across from campus and get our diet Coke's with lemon. We would sit at a corner table by the window and talk and talk and talk for hours. We loved that. It was wonderful. We shared everything - our hopes, our dreams, our mistakes, our successes. You name it and we shared it. There wasn't anything we didn't learn about one another as time went by. We had decided to leave Utah that Spring of 1993. To save time from this becoming a novel, we basically were staying in Indiana as a stop-over to our bigger asperations. It became permanent. Life has a funny way of making some decisions for you. This was a big one. I miss her. Cherie misses her. I know anyone who knew and loved her misses her. She was a good big sister to Cherie and Denise. She was a good daughter to Bill and Laura and she was a good, no great friend to me.
So, here's to you Cindy. Merry Christmas my friend. As you smile down on us for another Christmas just know that you have never been forgotten. We love and miss you. Give dad a hug for us. We miss you both.
Christmas is wonderful, but sometimes it reminds you of what you've lost, too. For anyone who has had this happen in their lives, they will understand. For those who haven't...you're lucky. Unfortunately, the day will come. I hate to be pessimistic, but it's the cycle of life. We just had it a bit earlier than expected. So, as we hustle and bustle around this holiday, I hope we'll look out for those who might be having a rough time and give them a smile or whatever bit of holiday cheer you can. It helps.
