Yesterday after months of pain and anguish, my dear friend Ilene passed. We spoke many times every week, texted multiple times a day, traveled with our husbands together – and our children grew up together as we lived just a few doors away from each other for almost 40 years.
There is such a vacuum in my life – and I know that she was more than a mother to her four daughters – more like a very best friend – and her 10 gorgeous grandchildren adored her – their Nana was ( along with Papa) their favorite person in the world. Ilene and her husband Robert accepted and loved their sons in law as if they were sons – and we were so blessed to be included in every family event – even their 50th wedding anniversary last year ( just two weeks ago was their 51st) – we were invited to join them and their children and grandchildren -it was also the same week that Ilene was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.
She is part of my life and will be so forever. For those of you who have lost a friend who was more like family – you know what I mean.
The top picture was the 50th Wedding anniversary – you can see the sadness in our eyes as we all feared what lay ahead.
The bottom picture is us with pure happiness a few months before that – in Mexico having fun – laughing, cooking, eating, swimming and talking – what we always did .
With love – rest in peace dearest friend.
