The circle is getting smaller.

 This has been a week. My mother-in-law (technically my ex-mother-in-law but she will forever be my mother-in-law) passed away on Saturday. She was 87. This was not unexpected. I saw her shortly after Christmas and it was apparent that she was simply biding her time. I loved her. We had our differences, that's true. She was the mother of my first husband, my first love. Oh, I loved that family so much! They bickered and fought, got irritated with each but never cut each other down. They always forgave. I remember when my husband left - it was a very long and painful process and at the time, I didn't realize what was happening. But when I figured out that he had left me, had created a life somewhere else, with someone else, to say I was heartbroken was a gross understatement. It was the most painful time in my life. But I had Ruby and Don, his parents. They loved their son but they loved me too and were crazy about their grandkids. They never made me feel as if I wasn't welcome in their home. I was included - not just invited - but included in their Christmas's, their family dinners, their celebrations. I remember Ruby telling me that I would always be her daughter-in-law and they always made sure I felt that. Don passed on years ago and now Ruby and Don are together again. As they should be.

I found out about the death of someone I loved very much. They died over a month ago and I only learned about it yesterday through an internet search. This was a very unlikely relationship, truly happenstance. This person was a friend to me when I was going through a terrible time in my life - not catastrophic like the breakup of my marriage - but a time of great uncertainty and really poor decisions. They helped me get my head on straight and were simply just a really good friend. And a good friend is something that I needed - I never had one before and haven't had one since. We helped each other get through some rough stuff. I can't believe that this person is no longer in the world. I hadn't seen them in many, many years but I always believed that our paths would cross again someday. 

Today I found out about the death of an old quilt camp buddy. I know that she had been ill, had overcome cancer years ago. It's been 3 years since the last quilt camp and apparently during that time, the cancer returned and was fatal. I feel empty knowing that when quilt camp comes around again, she won't be there.

All of these deaths, one not unexpected at all, one a complete surprise, and one not expected. It's crazy how life goes on. It does go on, even without those we though we could never live without. It will be different, that's for sure. Life is still sweet.