A tribute to the one who left my life too soon

Exactly 1 year ago today, my stepmother died. I still can't believe it. I can't believe I just called her "stepmother". She didn't like that term and neither did I. I didn't feel that way about her. "Stepmother" usually makes you think of the evil stepmother in Cinderella. Sally was as far away from that stereotype as she could be.

There are some people in your life that you feel blessed when they cross your path. Sally was one of those people. She was only 8 years older than me. She was 15 years younger than my Dad. I used to constantly tease him about how she was closer to my age than his. Truth hurts. This is why we became such good friends.

My Dad has not always been the best procureur of wives. Sally was his 4th wife. He hadn't gotten it right since wife #1. Who happens to be my mother. Go figure why I was partial to that one.

I didn't meet Sally until 2004. She and my Dad had been married a few years earlier but that was during the cold war years when I wasn't talking to my Dad. Or he wasn't talking to me. Or whatever. You can never remember how that stuff gets started. I only had 6 years with her. The blink of an eye.

The absolute best time I ever had with her was after Hurricane Katrina. There was nothing good after Katrina. My Mom & sis went one way. My husband had to go to Orlando to work. I went to Nashville to live with my Dad and Sally. I didn't have a clue I would be there for 6 weeks.

It was a good 6 weeks. All things considered because I got to really know Sally. My Dad was working out of New York at least 3 or 4 days a week so the rest of the time it was just me & Sally.

We had some great gab fests. We shared tons of stories about our crazy families. She had some great crazy relatives stories. I knew she was meant to be one of us!

Remind me to tell you her tale of Pu Wu. Another time, another time.

The last time I saw her was 2 weeks before she died. I almost didn't go to see her that day. I didn't know it would be the last time I saw her. Sally and my Dad were at my MawMaw's house. A place I try to avoid at all costs. Swarms of locusts, pestilence and famine all reside there. I decided to go anyway. I knew that my MawMaw as mother-in-law was a lot for Sally to deal with alone. Thank God I went to see her. It was the last time.

So on this day Sally please know how blessed we all were for having you in our lives. I will try not to be sad but I'm not quite there yet.

Thank you for sharing some of your crazy with me. Thank you for the crazy memories of crazy times we shared together.

Please know I will never think of Pu Wu without thinking of you!

Loved my pal Sal. Until we meet again.