An old friend from elementary school. We were a close-knit bunch, surviving the horrors of Catholic school together, all 40 of us, for almost 10 years. She and I were in the same group of friends, did sleep-overs, etc., and then went to high school together where we each found different friends. We reconnected on FB, and she had a lovely life, with two daughters, loving husband, a job she liked. Three months ago she was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer, which she fought to the end, but a massive stroke took her last week. We're all in a bit of shock. She leaves behind two daughters on the brink of adulthood, and a husband whose last post on caring bridge brought us all to tears. She was a kind, funny, smart person who made the world better. In her memory I spent extra time with my family this week and savored it because she could not. Rest well, Michelle.