In Memory of Sheryl

Many of you may remember that I lost one of my childhood best friends to ovarian cancer, this past Thanksgiving.   Sheryl had an amazing spirit and her six year battle to fight that ugly disease was something to behold.  She taught so many of us so many lessons and died with as much dignity and grace as one could hope for.

It's hard to believe she's been gone for almost seven months.  Since we didn't talk every day, I still feel I should just be able to pick up the phone and call her.  At the end, she told me, as she did several other friends, that she was worried we would only remember her as she was in her final days. I assured her that her last few weeks could never overshadow the 27 years of friendship we shared.  What comes to me again and again is her laugh and her energy and her smile and her funny "Sheryl-isms" that we all loved so much. She lived life to the fullest, even when that wasn't easy for her to do.

Yesterday was the SheRox triathlon downtown Naperville.  Funds were raised to help with research for finding a cure for ovarian cancer.  Sheryl's 2 sisters raised just over $2500 and the law firm Sheryl worked for, Hennessy and Roach, raised over $10,000 in her honor!  They also set up a tent at the end of the race for everyone to gather at and celebrate the success of the day. It was a huge turnout and I know Sheryl was right there all along, encouraging the athletes and watching all of us share wonderful memories while raising money for a great cause!

Pam and Robin, along with another of Sheryl's friends, Amy, ran the Triathlon as a relay. Jen Vierling, another friend of ours, did all three legs on her own. I'm so proud of all of them for this wonderful accomplishment!  I didn't get down there early enough to see much of the Tri, but I did meet up with everyone post race.

Such a wonderful way to honor our friend, sister, daughter, mom, wife.   I still miss her and always will. But, she sure is still leaving her mark on this world, even after she's moved on to the next one. 

We love you, Sheryl!