For Striker...

     The fight is over, and a dear friend of mine from grade school has won the chance to be at peace.  This gloriously wonderful, kind-hearted and humble gal has been battling melanoma on and off for almost a decade. It started as a mole that she had to have removed several years ago, and another skin occurance, I believe, also happened a few years later.  Most recently, the melanoma had spread to her internal organs, liver, lungs and brain (I think those are the correct ones) were all affected.  She went through several treatments and surgeries, including having a tumor taken out of her brain only a month or two ago.  She was doing well and seemed to be on her way to recovery, or so we thought.
     This passed weekend, on 1/20/12, my pal turned 26.  Her birthday and mine were exactly one month apart, so we always remembered each others'.  The day after, however, she was scheduled for an emergency surgery.  She had been having terrible headaches and her stomach was not doing well; the doctors found two more tumors in her brain.  The surgery was technically a success, I was told, in that the tumors were removed.  But, she never regained consciousness.  Yesterday, only 4 days after her 26th birthday, she was pronounced brain dead, and they decided to take her off the ventilator and let her be at rest.
     If you have been following my blog, this is the person I have referred to as the one I wanted to surprise with donations from this summer's Riding for a Reason recital.  She has had a rough time, firstly, in trying to get insurance because of her pre-existing condition.  Secondly, the surgeries and treatments could not have been pleasant at all.  Through all of it, though, she has always had a positive attitude and held strong in her faith.  Even on her worst day, I'm sure she cracked a smile or two; she's just one of those people.
     There was a close-knit group of us from HS that will be reunited for her service.  It's been years since I've seen some of these ladies.  It will be a bittersweet moment to see their faces knowing that we're all together for such a painful reunion.  Despite having done my crying and grieving, I know I will cry some more when I see their eyes, full of tears or not.  Hopefully they will be tears from us laughing at all of the reminiscing of good times with our passed friend, and all of the ridiculously lame stuff we did when we were younger (and by lame, I mean spending our study halls in the band and choir rooms learning new instruments and barbershop quartets... yes, we were/are lame).
   
     Because of her passing, I am dedicating this year's ride to her (if my knee is capable and willing of doing it). Also, if I am able to start a scholarship at my old high school in a few years, I would like to do it in memory of her; she played the clarinet and sang quite a bit with me when we were younger, so it's only fitting that an arts scholarship be created and named in her honor.

Here's to making everyday count, not taking your health for granted, and to telling those you love that you love them.