The Gift ... of so much

I was all set to blog about our trip to Toronto and how great it was ... but I came back to a gift that is almost indescribable. And nothing seems more important than that right now.
I have a dear friend from childhood whose whole family was a huge part of that very childhood. Her Mom was especially important for all kinds of reasons. And this spring she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She dealt with it with the very loving support of her family and the absolute grace that was her. She died in the fall and the world seemed that much paler. She was a woman of such grace, charm, and humour. I loved her. When she would stop in to my store I was always really excited in the fluttery way that you are as kid when someone really special arrives. That's how I felt. And sadly, I always felt that I would have years to feel this way & enjoy her presence. I was wrong.
But there is some good that has come out of this and that is that the childhood friend and I have had the chance to visit, correspond, and be out there floating in each others lives. And that is special.I know where to find her & I want to keep in touch. When I see her, I am filled with a rush of sweet childhood memories & feelings, and I feel her Mom's presence. And I love the person she has become as the adult version of that wonderful girl Brenda from years ago.
So ... I come in to work today and I find a basket that was left by her. It has 2 casserole dishes in it that belonged to her Mom. That has significance to me and it was so thoughtful. The tears begin. Then I read the card. More tears. My heart is so full at this point.(actually , its getting hard to type as this is so blurry...) In the card is a picture of her Mom from Christmas of 2005 wearing a beautiful necklace that Brenda made for her.And in a lovely bag is that necklace. I can't tell you how I felt when I saw that. It is a solid tangible memory of Barb. Because, you see, Barb wore it in to show me because she was so proud of it. So it is also a memory of how much Barb loved her daughter and how proud she was of her endeavors. It means so much. All I can do is cry because my heart is absolutely overflowing. That necklace meant so much to Brenda when she made it, so much to Barb when she received it, and it is a priceless treasure now. Thank you all for enriching my life.