Gifts from a special friend

I was so sad to read that our friend and fellow blipper NannaK passed away yesterday morning. Lovely that she was surrounded by her family, best friend, and a granddog that she loved. 
G and I feel very fortunate to have met Karen and Herb. When they stayed at our place a few years ago, Karen brought these little gifts that she'd made. I'd talked to her about loving the sounds of the frogs in the pond across the road. She knew that we enjoyed growing garlic and brought the little bulb. A wonderful reminder in the third gift, "Bee" mindful. What a talented artist she was, in several media.
Through blip, I saw her grandchildren grow up. I enjoyed fantastic photos from her travels with H and from her everyday life. I loved seeing photos from her beloved Parker Island and am so happy that I spent a short time there. As she went through her health issues for the past months and wrote about her feelings about dying, I learned how to think about death and how to deal with it. Karen definitely had an impact on my life.
I cried when I saw her blip on the 21st letting us know that she had chosen the next day to pass on. Renata and Kalyn gave me huge hugs of comfort because they knew that she was special to me. I had told them about her many times, and she always wrote wonderful comments on my family blips. I cried yesterday when I read that she had passed on. I'm thankful that she chose how and when to die. R.I.P., Karen. You will be missed.