April 25th, 2018
I knew this day would arrive. It did. Quietly without fanfare just like my friend. An email from Nancy’s husband slipped into the inbox, the title was “no more suffering.” I knew then that “The Unbeatable Nancy Brown.” had left her earth body and had gone to meet the Great Beyond.” This friend, this wonderful woman “the unbeatable Nancy Brown” was gone from our grasp, passed away.
She was the cause of it all, the reason I started the blog. In the beginning to lift my spirits and hers. I wrote with a pen and paper colouring the edges letters. As with all things I do it started small sending one tiny card. Doing that made me feel so good I happily scribbled and coloured for many years.
Then as with all things in life it had to change. The missives moved to “the Daily Diatribe” a blog format. The intent was to support the website of my teeny business, never losing sight of my support to her.
Let me tell you about “The Unbeatable Nancy Brown.” She has been a constant in my life for many years. She was indomitable in happiness and kindness. She made a difference in the lives of her friends and family. She loved as she was loved. Her wicked humour was contagious. She was bighearted, truehearted and fast friend. She was practical and pragmatic.
We started off as work mates, eating brown bag lunches many days of the week. Her outreach to me meant so much when I was starting back to work after I had fallen down. She acted at the time as if I was “normal,” a place I aspire to even now.
We remained friends after I went off to Vancouver to seek my fortune. I would return home at Christmas each year, she and her husband, high on the list to visit. Our annual meeting starting in the 1990’s.
In 2005 I was preparing for tea and Christmas cookies. I made the call she told me that she had news, devastating news. I rushed over with a tulip motif tea pot. We never really did focus ever on her diagnoses, there were too many other important issues to discuss.
I would soon leave to return home and unable it felt like to help her. It was at the point I sent her a thinking of you card. Neither of us has it. It perked up my spirits and like everything else I do, and went on to do, I do with enthusiasm. I started to write to her almost daily. She would keep everything I wrote. EVERYTHING. (it was a lot!)This was the days of paper and stamps. She went into remission and the post man rang the bell to ask if she was okay as my letters were suspended. Hard to ignore as I coloured the envelopes and placed confetti within on occasions. She was fine. She is still all right, she is not with us. She never let on about pain or suffering
My friend taught me many things. Most of all I saw a women and her husband, Peter deal the hand that was dealt them, with good will and grace. Focusing on myself I wrote about my lifestyle at the bed and breakfast. I learned from all this writing just how hard I worked. Because of her patience with my insistence at writing I learned to be a better writer. I aspired to be a better letter writer. Sometimes I aspired to be more of a writer. I still have not learned to focus my recent sojourn into higher learning has taught me. In my defense at 5 a.m. that was hard to do. I learned to be a friend on paper as the distance made it hard to be there. Yes indeed my friend taught me many things.
I was made welcome always in their home. The last time just weeks ago.
“ I am so glad to see you.” Nancy said. “I am too.” was my response.
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/pointe-claire-qc/nancy-marguerite-brown-7831983