Ten days from today is your birthday and I confess I never remembered it from year to year. I certainly wished you a happy one after you bluntly told me to. Ang, I now know that I was wrong; I should have celebrated yours and others because life is precious, fragile, and short.
On that day when we got the texts and emails saying that something was wrong, I knew that nothing here at Bloom would ever be the same. Your absence is felt everywhere because anyone who talked to you ended up being brought into your world.
For me, I can't turn a corner or enter a room without remembering something you did or said: a story or joke you told, countless family pictures, high-fives for everything, discussions, and routinely, political arguments. Angela, through the good and bad times I have always counted you as a friend and I still do.
Several of us have expressed how much we regret not telling you how good a friend you were; how much we cared about you; what you meant to us. Liz spoke for all of us when she said that her heart hurt. From the Mass Intentions, fundraisers, and on-line postings to the raised shots of your favorite adult beverage, you are remembered, loved, and cared about by more folks than you would have ever believed. If you could only see it…..
I trust that someday you will be joined again with your friends and loved ones in heaven to never know sadness again. We are grateful for the time God gave us with you and hope that your family finds a small measure of comfort knowing how many people loved and now miss you. Happy Birthday.