This blog is dedicated to my friend Jan who had shared her life to many people and who touched other people's lives in the short time I have known her.
She used to be as silent as a bird in more than half of her life until she realized she had so much say. We didn't know that she was trying to make up for lost time. In everything, she has something to tell us untill she passed away at the age of 56 .
I just knew her for the last 6 years of her life and I can tell you it was fun.
She was born a truly Southern woman who met a Filipino woman for a Boss, who was younger than her and who had no clue in many of the American ways especially the subtleties of a conversation.
Thus, everytime she takes on the expert hat, she goes.... "I'm here to tell you...." until such time when we expect her to say it every so often. We purposely include her in many a discussion so we can hear her side of the story or her feedback and her wisdom. Sometime before she can say the words, we already knew and we all would chorus to say "I'm here to tell you..." and have a good laugh about it.
As we became friends over the years, I encouraged her to write a book about her idiosyncracies and other stuff she learned along the way. I encouraged her to write a book for her children and grandchildren who have forgotten and who have missed to know a truly beautiful person she had become before she died..... who cared and was waiting to be loved and cared in return by her children and grandchildren.
Now, as I think about her, I feel I owe it to her to write something that we used to joke about and talk about. Some of which I have forgotten, but I hope I can remember them along the way as I try to recreate and write down some of my memories of her and the lessons we have learned together.
To Dear Jan. I know you are there looking at me. I hope you nudge me enough to guide me. I hope I will use the right words and write the things we used to talk about.
I can just try....
