A tribute to an incredible woman...

This is gonna be a tough week. I got the call tonight that I've been dreading for weeks...years really. This is finally it for Sharon and I'm still not sure how to say goodbye to someone who has been such an instrumental part of my life. As the tears stream down my face, I am flooded with all the amazing memories we've had over the past 15 years. She's watched us grow up and become adults, and each decision I've made was in part because of the little voice in the back of my head and heart saying "What would Sharon do? Would this make her proud?"

Sharon always believed in me. She always knew that I was a good person and helped instill kindness and generosity in me by example. Always ready with a smile and a hug, Sharon was a second mother and grandmother to so many of us, not just me. Though I'd love to think of her as just my special friend, she lived for her family and that will forever be her legacy. You could see the sense of pride in her when she spoke of her children, whether they were doing something great or had veered off course a little. Her husband Jerry is her true soul mate and they set the bar high for me to live up to. No matter how much grief she gave Jerry about something or how much he heckled her, you could see that they loved each other to no end. I want a love like that, with depth beyond comprehension, yet transparent enough for the world to see it after just one meeting. Theirs is a love bigger than the movies, greater than the most wrenching fairytale. Their love is real. I think no matter how much she loved her family, her grandkids are her pride and joy. Almost 10 years ago when the doctors had given up hope and told her there was nothing they could do, Sharon set her mind on making it to Jessa's high school graduation. Two years ago, her dream came true. She fought so hard, for so many years...for them. As the kids would come barreling out of the cars and down the dock, you could see her love for them as she instantly grinned from ear to ear. Even when she was yipping at them to get away from her fishing pole or to shut the door, it was always finished with a touch of love. Her love for them is the most precious gift she could ever give them and there isn't a second of their lives where they could ever doubt that they were truly loved.

And let's not forget the boathouse, possibly Sharon's favorite place to be. Not only did she get to indulge in some of her favorite activities, but she'd get to do it with her favorite people. Where else can you sit with a fishing pole in one hand and a beer in the other while kids scurry about and you laugh with your friends, new and old? Man could she fish too. There was hardly a fish too small for Sharon...the smallest ones tasted the best she said! She'd fish for hours at a time while everyone talked, drank, ate, and bonded. And that eternal tan of hers! One stint in the sun and you'd think she had been tanning all winter. I was always envious of her "boathouse glow!" Sharon even stuck up for me when my family banned me from family games. And yes, for the record, I was (and still can be!) a sore loser...but never with Sharon. She taught me how to play 10,000 and euchre and I was always a gracious loser. I think the truth was that I was so glad to be spending the time with Sharon that there's no way I'd let something like my lack of sportsmanship ruin it for me. The bonfires are where we really saw Sharon's warmth and love. Her infectious laugh lit up those bonfires. We'd laugh for hours, well into the night and much past Sharon's bedtime. And everyone was always welcome at the bonfire, Sharon made sure of it. This is where we became family. I wouldn't trade those moments for anything and the boathouse won't be the same without her.

If there are two times when I will miss her most, it'll be on my wedding day and the day my first child is born. I always imagined that Sharon and Jerry would be sitting with my family at my wedding and it saddens me to think she won't be there. And when my first baby is born, I'll know that he or she has the best possible guardian angel looking after them. From the time she was young, Sharon was always taking care of everyone else's kids. That never stopped once she had her own and I guarantee you that there are hundreds of people who can tell you about what a great friend, influence, caregiver, babysitter, sister, aunt, cousin, grandma, or mother she was to them. I think a lot of us can say that we wouldn't be who we are today had our lives not been touched by Sharon.

I haven't lost many people in my life, but this one will be especially hard as I was closer to Sharon than to my own grandparents. But as I reflect on a tremendous life, I recall more and more terrific memories than I can ever begin to write down and I am comforted by knowing that she will not be in pain anymore, she will not be suffering. Just knowing her and having her in my life is a gift that I will always cherish. So when I have kids and grandkids, there will always be a cookie jar full of Sharon's famous chocolate chip cookies, each one made with nothing but love. After all, Sharon's love was the sweetest gift any of us ever received.

**Sharon lost her 10 year courageous battle with cancer on June 1st, 2009. She will be dearly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.**