Weeping

 Fiorella is still weeping about her friend's death. Ellen Paule was not just a good friend, but a good person. Surely, God could have found someone else to make off with.

Has Fio ever told you that she and Ellen met in the middle of the street? Fiorella tried to impress her new acquaintance by asking her if she knew she was a Christian and Ellen said. "No I'm not," then took Fio home with her where Mrs. Paule gently explained that they were Jewish.

Jewish? How interesting! Fio was hooked, and it turned out that their mothers liked each other too.

When possible, the Paules drove Fio to school with Ellen and arranged for her to sign up for lessons in swimming, sewing, children's theater, art, and the like along with the Jewish girls. Then there were the plays that Ellen and your girl performed on the Paule's patio every summer--and when Fiorella walked down the aisle of her Lutheran Church to be married, Ellen was her bridesmaid.

The twosome went their different ways after college, but stayed in touch by email and occasional phone calls. Ellen's last call was to tell Fio she had stage four cancer. Your girl arranged for a meaningful gift to be sent to her friend, then called to see if the little lion had been received, but it was too late. 

And Fiorella is still weeping.