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Back when I was an optician, I worked with a lady named Barbara for about 7 years. Technically, I was her boss, but we were equals in most respects, and we became very close friends very quickly. We never socialized much outside of work, because we were already with each other more than with our respective spouses, but while we were at work we shared a comfortable co-existence. I don't think we ever fought once. And when I decided to leave, we both bawled like little babies on my last day.

We've kept in touch, but I haven't seen her since she left the business earlier this year. Sometime in July I got this email from her:

Hi all old friends,

Passing along this terrible news as I need all the thoughts of good will and prayers you can muster if you choose. In May of this year I was diagnosed with a brain tumor and Chris and I have spent these past few months researching and doctoring and getting many neuro opinions and the outcome is brain surgery which is scheduled 2 wks from now . The most unnerving part of the whole thing is I have no symptoms indicative of a brain tumor and I would never have known had I not had an MRI for hearing loss last April. There was no reason for hearing loss on the MRI but oh, by the way you have a brain tumor. Needless to say, our world has been rocked all summer and I intentionally scheduled the surgery date for after the summer so that we could spend as much time at our beach house in NJ w/all the grands.

Yet the date looms and the wait is grueling and the whole procedure and recovery is god awful and just keep me in your thoughts.Since it is considered a high risk surgery, I do have a very specific wish for no visits at the hospital or at home for at least a week or two until I feel and look better. It is brain surgery after all not a new hip or a hysterectomy or something I'd welcome if you get my meaning.

Chris will be sending out an e-mail to you all after the fact .Thanking you in advance for your good wishes.
Barbara

She's finally ready for a visit, so I'm heading out to her place on Tuesday to see her. I had just started my teach-myself-to-sew project when I found out about her illness, and I would have liked to have made her a quilt, but I wasn't prepared to take on that kind of project for anyone who wasn't a forgiving family member. And besides, there simply are no good brain tumor-themed fabrics out there.

So yesterday I decided that I could at least make her a pillow, if nothing else. One which expresses all my love for her and my great relief that her surgery was a success and her recovery is nearly complete:



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