Shine On, Judy Reich

The DOC received the intelligence belatedly Wed night/early Th morn that we’d lost our friend Judy Reich, 

It’s hitting many difficult - me included. I’m a mess.

I am devastated over Judy’s passing - every fourth dimension I tried to lay something into words I flare-up into tears.

This one's for you, Judy  

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Dear Judy - 

I establish out the intelligence only equally I was getting create to larn bed belatedly Wed night/early Th morning. 

It was weird - I’d only said out loud to myself, “today was amend than yesterday,” as well as I looked at my facebook feed 1 terminal fourth dimension - as well as then it wasn’t. 

A usual friend’s facebook condition announced your passing along alongside a link to 8 News Now's video tribute. 

I yelled "NO" at my phone, clicked on the link and burst into tears as well as I couldn’t halt crying. 

I was upwards for hours, crying as well as talking online alongside our friends, trying to slice together the how as well as they whys, as well as trying to brand sense of it, trying to detect out what happened. 

And I’m withal crying - as well as the tears buy the farm along falling.

Judy - y'all were a kind; funny, talented, beautiful, as well as phenomenal woman, I was therefore lucky to telephone telephone y'all my friend, as well as I’m actually going to immature lady you.

We met online outset - as well as I’ll acknowledge to existence a picayune flake reserved at first, but then we met inwards existent life at the really outset UnConference - as well as y'all were therefore amount of honey as well as light, I was like: WOW, THIS WOMAN IS AMAZING. 

We bonded over our honey of entertaining; theater, existence the caretaker for our parents, my fighting to larn over the loss of my mother, as well as both of us existence maternal women alongside diabetes who weren’t mothers. 

That terminal component was big - it connected it us - as well as other women (and or therefore men,) inwards DOC who needed experience that nosotros non entirely existed - that nosotros mattered. 

And Judy, y'all were a woman rear - y'all mothered as well as mentored therefore many whose lives were touched past times your sparkled as well as joy.  

Always form as well as filled alongside love, e'er making certain your friends were doing OK.

These past times few days I’ve read beautiful facebook statuses and blog posts that are truthful testaments as well as tributes to the adult woman y'all were as well as the acquit on y'all had. 

Judy, y'all made a the world of departure - y'all helped as well as encouraged - as well as y'all showed that l years living alongside diabetes could live on done alongside style; grace, sense of humor tenacity, a flake of bawdy, as well as boatloads of showwomanship! 

Your minute messages e'er seemed to flash across my hide only when I needed them most. When I was struggling; when I was feeling downward or lonely - intuitively you knew it - and y'all started a conversation that would e'er brand me express joy as well as experience inspired. 

The terminal fourth dimension nosotros chatted was later on the holidays -both of us were curt for fourth dimension - it was a quick check-in alongside a hope to “catch-up soon, as well as a usual hope that a existent life run across upwards inwards 2018 was inwards the cards.“ 

We never got that risk as well as that is or therefore other argue I grieve. 

I'm distressing as well as mad that nosotros won't larn the risk to hangout 1 time again inwards existent life. 

Judy, give thank y'all you for existence my friend as well as for e'er making me smile. 

Shine brilliant as well as smooth on, because y'all genuinely are a star!

I volition never forget y'all as well as volition immature lady y'all always.   

Xoxo

Kelly

And to my Diabetes Online Community Family - No affair the diabetes type as well as inwards retention of Judy, I’m bespeak that y'all schedule an engagement alongside a cardiologist. 

I don’t conduct maintain the all the specifics, but I create know that Judy’s expiry was cardiac related.

February is Heart Month - diabetes as well as middle issues larn hand-in-hand - no affair what type of diabetes y'all alive with, because diabetes as well as middle illness isn't only a type ii issue.

PLEASE schedule upwards an engagement alongside a cardiologist as well as larn checked out. 

Do it for yourself, for your family, as well as create it for Judy.

If desire to ship Judy's married adult man Gary as well as her mom Arlene Reich condolences, 

send your cards to the Diabetes Sisters offices past times the destination of Feb - they volition live on forwarding them in bulk to the family. 

DiabetesSisters, 

319 northward Weber Road, pmb 163, 

Bolingbrook, IL 60490