Thank you, Susieqoh. Lola passed on September 29 and i finally felt able to tell the story. For me the lesson is to do now - what you can, while you can because you may never get another chance.

I was going to comment on your nice, cheery quilts. Instead I must add, what a bittersweet story, but a lovely story about real life. You will miss your friend because you cared for her on so many levels.

Thank you oksewglad.

I met Lola in 1995 when i started working for her sons and she has been a very special part of my life all of these years. I am heartbroken and I honestly dont know what i’m going to do without her. She always had room in her heart for just one more and treated me like one of her own. People like that are so rare these days! We always hugged each other and didnt miss the chance to say I love you. That was a major deal to me having had no real relationship with my own mother for most of my life. I used to tease Lola that she was “just like June Cleaver” to me - she would just laugh, but she knew my heart for her as i never hid it.

Thank you all for letting me share this (i know, it’s not like you had much choice, right???). It’s where we’ve been that makes us who we are.