I recently lost a very dear friend. Her death was unexpected and senseless and incredibly sad. While I don’t want to dwell on the sadness of her death, I think it’s important for me to acknowledge it because for several weeks I couldn’t. In my mind it just wasn’t possible that she was no longer a phone call away.

She was one of a kind and made a lasting impression on the many people she knew. For my part in her life she introduced me to good wine, great food and fabulous shoes. When I was ready to go to pieces about something she was able to “talk me off the ledge” and make sense of the situation–I called her my Zen. When I lost weight and needed new clothes she helped me shop and picked clothes that not only fit, but were fashionable (probably the first time in my life I felt that way).

She also introduced me to Paris. We used to joke that in a past life she was a little old French lady and that someday she would return to her homeland. The photo I selected, the Arc de Triomphe, is one of my favorites from our trip.

Kristine, you are missed and loved. Oh how I could use your zen right now to make sense of this.