My Friend Is Gone

This is my friend, Marianne Arnerich. We have known Marianne for over 35 years. She is a friend that no matter how much time has passed, or the distance between us, we can pick up right where we left off whenever we do communicate. This week I wanted to get in touch with her and I didn't have her current contact info as she had moved. I looked on Facebook, no luck. I looked on Twitter...same. I thought I might find her on Google as she is a very wonderful and accomplished designer and I thought surely she'd be listed. This link is what I found instead; her obituary. To say I was stunned, would be grossly understating my reaction.

She died in December, but for me she died this week. I have been shocked before by the death of friends and loved ones, but this was particularly disturbing because I don't know what happened to her. And because she was so young..in her 50's. There is something so unsettling about that..I realized it is part of putting closure on it, to know what happened. This has never happened to me before. When you hear of someone's death the first thing you ask is...what happened, right? We didn't know any of her family, she was single with no children....so we will probably never know. Our family will miss her. We haven't even told our kids about this yet, but I know they all remember her and liked her very much. We spent a lot of time with her when they were growing up.

I couldn't help but notice the contrast between learning of her mysterious death and also hearing about all the celebrities that have passed away lately. Ed Mc Mahon will be remembered for being Johnny Carson's sidekick and his Publisher's Clearing House commercials; Jacko for his music, eccentricity, his reconstructive surgeries and his bejeweled glove and moon walk; Farrah Fawcett for her beautiful, blond, swept back, layered hair~ copied by everyone at the time, her boyfriend Ryan O'Neal, and Charlie's Angels; and Kenny Rankin for his beautiful voice and song writing abilities. These famous people all left their mark on the world in a big way.

Our sweet friend, Marianne, was just a normal, everyday person who brought much happiness to the lucky few that knew and loved her. She will be remembered for her happy, gregarious personality, her amazing creativity, and a generous and loving heart. She loved life, she embraced it, and she gave herself freely to it. We may never know what happened to her but whatever it was...I pray it was a gentle departure. Long after I have forgotten the others....I will remember my dear friend, Marianne. Again my thoughts return to ....we just never know!

For Marianne

She loved bright colors but somehow
these white flowers seem right today!
May She Rest In Peace...
She was much too young to leave us.