today i learned that a very close and special friend of mine passed on...she was 61, but her smile shone through like a beacon on a dark and cold nite, she was greek and firey like one, yet if you were her friend she'd stick by you thick and thin...you see my friend had cancer an agressive type, and when i spoke to her about a month ago, she said she felt great and felt that she had it beat...i leanred today she lost that battle...so close to christmas..and i thought of my own mortality...i cried like a new born babe, for over 2 hours...and i then thought of what my dad onece said...when christmas got so commercialized...dad said ..you know what..people have forgotten what christmas means, its not the gifts that people give, its not about religion, its about family...when everybody gets toghter and shares a meal..and love..im soory if the words blur this is diffcult to write...but as i sit here and know my family is over 800 miles away and i look at the charlie brown christmas tree not only 20 feet away...i give thanks for having friends here to help me through the christmas day, there will be no gifts under the tree. you ask why decorate a tree then? its tradition...and with that i'll close with a moment of silence for the dear friend that passed on..and to my dad who always shared a story at christmas time, with me and a glass of applejack, a tradition i carry on yet today...so to all of you who read my blog, heres to your familys and loved ones on this christmas day...gods bless you all
