Irishwhispers

It is with a heavy heart that I come to you, my sisters, today. There are many here that have not had the joy or honor of meeting our Irishwhispers. Sadly they never will. Trish (Irishwhispers) Bonn died last night, after a long and vicious battle against the beast.
I met Trish here on CSN in the chat room and we quickly became good friends, and sisters. We were diagnosed around the same time and went through treatment together. Then after treatment instead of drifting apart we started making plans to get together. Than shortly after her one year anniversary of completion the beast returned as mets to the liver.
I want to tell you a little about my friend so that you to will know the spirit, the strength the courage, the wisdom of this woman. Trish ended all her chats and her posts with i love you more my luggage, I would respond to that with I love you more then my diet pepsi. Many of us were recipients of her peanut butter hugs and chocolate kisses.
My friend was a woman of JOY, laughter was her key to life. She was always ready listen, discuss, and help you see the true picture. It was Trish that encouraged me to post on the boards instead of just hanging out in the chat here at CSN. She believed I had something to contribute. I spent many hours listening to story's of the the piratical jokes that she had pulled on her children, of the weekends she spent with her grandchildren, and the joy she found in painting. Trish could make you smile no matter how down you were. She truly believed that laughter was the best medicine, and worked at spreading as much as possible. You never ended a conversation with her without having at least smiled once.
The last thing that Trish would want is for us to mourn her passing. She would want us to celebrate her life, her accomplishments. If Trish were to arrange her own funeral she would ban black, she would insist on bright colors, laughter. She would want the memory of saying the final good bye to be a joyful thing.
So my heart is heavy, but today and every day I will celebrate having had the honor and the joy of known this wise, courageous, beautiful spirit. Though I be on the verge of tears, I will think of all the laughter I shared with her.
Tonight and every night for the next week I will light a candle at sunset for her so that she will know that I am remembering her with joy, with laughter, with light. Because she lighted up this board with the brilliance of her spirit. She lighted up my life, by just being her.
Forever more I will hear the echoing in my head and my heart of her sending me peanut butter hugs and chocolate kisses, and her telling me she loved me more then her luggage.
Trish my friend, my sister. I will miss you, your wisdom, your humor, but most of all I will miss always knowing that I could turn to you any time and you would be there. Your still there you will forever live in my heart as so much more then a memory
Love you more then my diet pepsi Trish, rest well.