I don't even know how to react to the loss of one of my best friends for over 40 years. Inconceivable, a world where I can't pick up the phone and hear that English accent. Julie and I met in the 70's when she started part time where I worked. She hadn't worked a day in her life and I was assigned to indoctrinate her into the office. Luckily we both had a sense of humor because this was quite an assignment! From here we bonded over life in general; sharing dinners and wine at her house with our kids running around while we solved the world's problems as well as our own. We couldn't afford good wine at the time, so we bought cheap wine and mixed it with orange juice, a drink I still enjoy; in part because of the good memories of these times. I recommended her for the job at Johnson where she thrived and retired. We have shared divorce, death, love affairs, health issues, raising children, loving grandchildren, happiness and despair. Julie and I traveled through life together through the years. We may not have seen each other every day, but we always met for birthdays and Christmas along with our other best friend, Carol Chapman. You can't replace life long friends or the memories we shared. We can only cherish them, remember them and miss them forever. Julie and I shared a love of animals, especially our dogs, so I have made a donation to SPCA in her honor. My heart goes out to Monica, Sean and Tony, and I will be there for them any time, just as their mother was always there for me.
