Barbara and Maureen, kindred spirits!
Barbara and I were best friends. I am still in shock that she has died. I have tried to write in this space so many times, but just couldn't continue. I guess I had to acknowledge that it was true before I allowed myself to write.
Barbara never failed to lift my spirit. She saw the goodness in everything and everybody and you just couldn't be down when you were with her. We shared countless adventures, mishaps, and spiritual journeys. Our husbands and children just shook their collective heads when we were together.
When my father died and my mother was hospitalized, I stayed alone in their house and tried to keep things together. Barbara called me and said I needed to get out of the house. She said we were going to World's End in Hingham. It was a lovely March day just like today, and I had been holed up in a sad house. She was insistent. We arrived at the park where a ranger asked if we were coming to see the bluebirds. We hadn't even known about the yearly migration stop at World's End that the bluebirds made every year. We got directions to the field and as the woods opened up to the meadow, we stopped in our tracks! There were thousands of brilliant bluebirds all over and above the fields. Brilliant blue soaring and flitting everywhere! I will never forget the sight of those beautiful sparkling bluebirds. And I still remember clearly the look of wonder and awe on Barbara's face along with a knowing nod of her head and a big smile. We hugged and then cried, laughed, and cried again. As we walked back to the car, Barbara hugged me again and said, "God wanted us to see this. He knew you needed to see them. And Barbara somehow knew to take me, almost against my will. I have never seen the bluebird migration again, but that look of wonder and awe on Barbara's face and that other look of knowing was repeated for me many, many times. And the words, "God wanted us to see this, feel this, experience this, hear this!" became a mantra for the wonderful times we had together. Her spirit will live forever in my soul. I miss you so much, soul mate, kindred spirit, my "sister of summer!"