It's the end of the world as we know it

Kathy was one of my favorite co-workers at HP. She was bright, efficient, thorough and kind. She did good work and was enjoyable company. Our cubes were next to one another. I was the single girl with a house and some cats. She was an attentive mom to 3 Catholic school teenagers, building a house up north.

6 months after my Maggie was born, Kathy's 19 year old daughter was killed in a car accident. Jody was Kathy's oldest child, and they were very close. Until tonight, my last memory of Kathy was seeing her at Jody's funeral, crying and holding my hand tight, commanding, "You love that baby of yours!". Her anguished advice has gripped my heart many times over the past 5 years.

Tonight I was sitting in Noodles and Co. with my kids and Tim, and I saw someone who looked like Kathy from across the restaurant. Her hair was longer but the face and mannerisms were the same. She was with her husband Bob. After Tim and the kids started running around the restaurant trying to make the baby laugh, Kathy got up and came over. I was so glad it was her! She looked great, happy and healthy. We hugged and talked about the facts of our current lives, and it was such a joy to catch up even for just a few minutes. I told her about my mom. She told me she is about to be a grandmother. Tim then left with the kids and went to Barnes and Noble, so we hugged and parted and I went to look for my family. Tim, kids and I spent about 45 at the bookstore before heading back to the car.

When we walked back past the restaurant, Kathy and her husband were still sitting at their window table, talking and laughing and enjoying one another's company. She looked up when I passed, and smiled and waved. She looked like a woman content and at peace.

Recent events in my life have been very hard. I have experienced pain that I never knew I was capable of. Seeing Kathy was like a message of comfort from the Divine. Yes, this is survivable. Yes there will be peace.

On the drive home that REM song came on the radio just as Frank was yelling from the back, "I want the music LOUD!". I turned up the volume, the kids rocked back and forth in their seats, and we all sang the refrain at the top of our voices. It was 3 minutes of pure, heavenly relief.