The other day I was listening to the news and heard a story about a 13 year old girl who had been brutally murdered by her boyfriend of only three months. Ron Zapolo introduced the mother and her name sounded familiar. I looked up and there on the television was the former next door neighbor of my parents. The woman was a friend of my mother’s and had helped me find and buy my condo. I remember her daughter as a little girl. Everyday when I pulled into the driveway she would run up to the car and ask if I could stay outside and play. My most vivid memory was of when she came to the door pretending to sell pizzas. Hahaha. She used to call my dad Mr Bob and it was so cute that everyone on his block still call him that to this day.

So I looked up the news story to find out what the heck happened. The murder happened more than 2 years ago! How can it be that something so terrible could happen to someone I once knew without me somehow finding out about it before now? It makes me wonder what else has happened in the lives of former friends and acquaintances. My heart goes out to everyone who has lost someone unexpectedly.

Today my mom would have turned 61 years old. Happy Birthday, Mom.