Are you ready for some fooootball??!!

This phrase always make me think of my friend Susanne's dad. Susanne and I lived on the same hall our freshman year in college. We didn't know each other very well when I asked her to go with me to my high school boyfriend's fraternity formal. She would be his big brother's date. The only problem was that the formal was at his college in PA. Mike flew both of us up there on what we later determined was "The Road Trip From Hell". What could go wrong on this trip did. We had to fly on 2 prop planes - one of the planes was shaped like a trapezoid! It was a rough trip, and when we got to PA, we found out that our bags were left on the runway back in VA. Those would be the same bags that contained our formal dresses! Needless to say we didn't actually make it to that formal. That was the beginning of a long and deep friendship.

We pledged the same sorority later that year, which only furthered cemented our friendship. She was my rock when my brother was killed. She was one of only 2 people that I could actually unburden my emotions to in those horrible months following Brian's death. I would sit with her and just cry, and she just let me get it all out. We took care of each other in those years.

By our senior year, we lived in the on-campus apartments, next door to each other. I remember when Waco happened - Susanne ran from her back door to mine, jumping between our patios and stubbing the heck out of her toe.

Our senior year we traveled to FL for Spring Break with a few other friends. This was the year that there was the freak blizzard in March of '93. Three of the people we were with decided to head back to school to avoid the storm. I had to give a deposition for the trial against the man who killed my brother and I couldn't leave with them. Susanne stayed behind with me (thereby ensuring that my parents will love her forever!!). That last night we were there, we had a tornado warning, and everyone in my house slept in the hallway. For some reason, I slept long ways in the hall and got a great night sleep - everyone else slept the short way, including Susanne, and were exhausted the next day.

When graduation weekend happened, neither of us were really ready to face "real life", so we both just sort of ignored it -yeah, we'll be back next year. Next year came, and we weren't back in school. We were "grown ups", working for a living. Susanne stayed in Richmond while I was all over the place.

When I was in a really bad car accident while living in NJ, Susanne dropped everything and came up to help me out. She went to the impound lot to get my personal items, and said that she was horrified at the state of the car - she had no idea how I made it out alive. When Susanne's boyfriend dumped her, she was a wreck, and I headed down I-95 to be there for her. That's the kind of friends we have always been.

Susanne moved to Colorado back in the late 90's. Distance didn't even affect our friendship. We were still there for each other through the thick and thin - boyfriends coming and going, depression, we were there for each other.

And now, I need to be there for her despite our distance again. Susanne's dad passed away after a long battle with brain cancer in the early morning hours of April 16th, 2007. She called me on the following Friday to let me know that she and her son would be leaving the next day for NY. Her father's memorial service was today. I wanted to try and get up there for her, but was unable to with the 3 boys. I have been praying for her and her mom and sisters during this dark time. Logically she, and I, know that her dad isn't in pain any more and that he is in a better place. Emotionally, however, sometimes that's hard to remember.

So if you wouldn't mind, say a prayer for Susanne and her family. She would ask the same for me. May your soul be at peace, Dr. Argamaso, and may eternal rest be granted unto you.