Miracle redefined

Yesterday we said goodbye to Joanne.

Wife of Linda

Daughter of Sam and Re

Sister of Amy

Sister-in-law to Chris

Dear, dear friend of my Suann and many, many others.

Joanne collected good people and yesterday several of us met for the first time in person but because she shared stories with/of all of us, we were instantly connected. Or to paraphrase Joanne’s sister, Amy, “Because of Joanne we’re all family now.”

As we prepared to celebrate Joanne I thought a lot about miracles. She’s just one of many folks we knew who were diagnosed with cancer and were "deserving,” in our estimation, of a miracle, some divine intervention, if you will. But the more I thought about it the more I realized I was missing the bigger picture. I needed to redefine miracle for myself.

36 years ago Joanne from Pleasant Valley met Suann from Cohoes on the campus of the College of New Rochelle and a friendship took root.

Shortly after, Linda from Flemington was visiting campus and fell for the gal from Pleasant Valley. Eventually, love bloomed.

I got to know Joanne through Suann and while we both had a voracious appetite for books, often trading them back and forth, it was Joanne’s knowledge of Suann I appreciated most. I could send an email or a photo or a text to Joanne when Suann did something Suann-like (see below for an example: I came down the other morning to an open New Yorker and a full cup of tea Suann left behind on the floor before heading to bed; as you can see, the boys are not tea drinkers). Joanne got it - she lived with Suann in college and after me, probably knew her best. I will miss hearing Joanne say, “Oh, Suann.” 

Suann and I were friends with Joanne and Linda for more than 30 years. We didn't experience the dictionary definition of a miracle (1. an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause) but every time we got together love and laughter were plentiful* all because a couple of college girls, one from Pleasant Valley and another from Cohoes struck up a conversation at the College of New Rochelle 36 years ago. 

LIFE IS RANDOM LOVE IS NOTTM

*This can be said for everyone I met yesterday - love and laughter flowed when you spent time with Joanne and Linda.