When you lose a friend it's forever

I consider Fiction my genre, but not today. I feel obligated and compelled to write about my friend Robbie, and I bet she would've loved it. Robbie was a very basic lady who was always seemingly interested in what you were doing.

I would see her and she'd tell me about her writing classes and I encouraged her with everything I had. Robbie was in her seventies and had some health challenges, but her writing was her equalizer.

As soon as she'd finish a story, she'd send it to me and I was always astonished. There was very little I could find to critique. She wrote from heart (which the Best writers do) and her stories were always sweet. They didn't require a thesaurus to understand and she had a humanity in the stories that was refreshing and real.

Robbie had always been heavily involved in the Girl Guides and she was extremely proud of being able to help young women make a difference in the world. There wasn't a year that went by when I didn't have way to many Girl Guide cookies, but who could resist Robbie.

When I would see her at a community event, she always had a big smile and gave me a nice kiss. Her whole being was real and she never ever put on any airs. She didn't dress in labels and she always wanted people in her presence to feel comfortable.

Robbie lived with her Son-In-Law and two daughters and her two Grandchildren. The impact she had on their lives was absolutely recognizable. Her daughters, Ellen and Shelly are lovely examples of how to be decent human beings and her Granddaughters are smart, confident, and personable young ladies.

I would have long discussions with Robbie about a number of different things, and she would on occasion confide about things that bothered her. It was interesting because it was always the same theme, people who didn't treat other people decently. People who alienated people for reasons that didn't make sense. People who took people for granted and were always in the ''next'' kind of mode forgetting those who had known them for a long time. People who were callous and mean and would not hesitate to take advantage of other people.

I once had a personal problem and somehow, some way Robbie knew it. She waited till we were alone and I can still hear her voice clear as day ''Alan, if you Ever need someone to talk to, I'm always here for you. I won't pass judgement, I'll just listen.'' She was a friend.

Robbie died at seventy eight but she left behind the most important things a person can leave behind. She left a great name and a lasting legacy. She had been recognized by the Government a year earlier as a valuable asset to society for her involvement with the Girl Guides. She received awards and gifts that weren't expected but were completely deserved.

Robbie didn't have a perfect life, she had some struggles but nothing that would keep her down. She overcame the loss of two husbands, and some health problems, but she kept moving forward. She once told me she would have loved to meet a good man to spend the rest of her life with and when I suggested someone from the local community named Marvin, she looked at me laughed and said '' I know who you're talking about. Marvin? Alan are you absolutely crazy? He's not for me!'' and then we laughed. She was right.

I will miss having a friend who was also in many ways a confidant, but I'm also happy that I had a chance to encourage Robbie to write. At her Shiva (Memorial Service) every night one of Robbie's stories is read to the assembled crowd who are there to say Memorial prayers. I listen to those stories and I think to myself ''Robbie, you really were a good writer, you might be gone physically, but your words like you will never be forgotten.'' Rest In Peace my special friend.