|
|
In Honor of Tricia
After reading these stories about Tricia, please take a moment to share at least one of your favorite "Tricia Stories". In addition to sharing them with others, we are hoping to gather numerous stories of Tricia from the eyes of her friends, family, classmates and colleagues from all stages of her life so that they may be shared with Max, Miranda, Ethan and Lauren as they grow. If you have more multiple stories, or more personal memories you wish to share directly, please email or mail them to us. > Share your favorite story
Tricia.
I have known her all my life but only met her last year. She made that kind of an impact on me, and I expect on lives of most every one she knew.
Mitch brought her to their new home next door after she had just started the chemotherapy. That's when I first met her with her hat covering a hairless head. Very pregnant. Mitch had shaved his head - emphasized the partnership. What class!
Next day, no hat, just plain bald. She laughed off the chemo results with an 'I am what I am' approach. What a gutsy neighbor. I liked her from the beginning. I admired her. Pregnant and bald should not be pretty, but she was a beauty in all ways, and that fact didn't get in her way. Maybe I was just beginning to see the depth of her being, her soul.
Lauren was born. Beautiful girl like her Mom. Sadly, we will probably not know Lauren as the house next door has now been sold. Far more sadly, she will not know her wonderful and loving mother who gave her life through so many difficult days.
Later on - mastectomy which she passed off as something like a mole removal. No big deal, but she surely knew the serious side. What happens does happen, get on with life.
I remember talking with her in the front yard a year ago as Ethan came trundling up. Ethan has never walked in his life. Runs and trundles. "Hi Bob" in his clarion voice. Tricia was wide eyed, amazed. "Those are his first words, and he calls a neighbor, not Mommy or Daddy. This is terrible!" And, then she laughed, really laughed, and we both had much fun with that one.
Max and Miranda. Always Peg and Bob. "At least they could call you Ms. Peg or Mr. Bob". But it was too late, and too natural the way it is, so who cares. And we laughed it off.
I saw her many times that summer, always bright, always positive. Even as the ugly inner disease ate at her, she was beautiful outside and inside. What an impression she made on my life.
That last time we spoke was in late winter of this year outside on the driveway. Her color was back. Her weight, from pregnancy and hideous drug attempts to destroy the evil disease, had come down so that she was as slim as I had ever seen her. She looked marvelous, and I told her so. We joked about her new blond hair having been bleached by the northern Ohio February sun. I wanted to hug this lovely lady, it was so thrilling to see her getting toward normal. I didn't hug her. I knew it would hurt her.
And at the funeral, the beautiful words of the rabbi. And Mitch speaking of his wife. And Miranda running into her father's arms. What a family. What a class family.
Not a dry eye in the temple, and as we walked outside and the sun shown so brightly, the first words I heard were "Hi Bob". It was Ethan in the arms of Herb. Tricia was laughing.
"No rabbi or priest can explain why." Words of Herb as we sat on our patio. So true.
She has a way about her. She brought light into my life, our lives. I've known her only a few months, but I've known her all my life.
Peg and Bob
Share Your Favorite Story
|
|
|
|
In The News
Race for the Cure: Remembering Tricia
WKYC-TV
Monica Robins, Health Anchor
10/9/2006
> Play video
> Read article
Beachwood Buzz
April, 2007
> Download PDF
Cleveland Jewish News September 22, 2006
Many of you have already had the opportunity to read the beautiful obituary published in the Cleveland Jewish News. What most of you have not seen, is the obituary Mitch wrote for Tricia that was used as the basis for the CJN. I hope you will read. |
|
