MY FRIEND

I met Michal ten years ago when I started working for hospice. Both being social workers, Michal and I worked closely together as we shared cases on the same team. Michal was a bit offsetting at first, as she was very vocal about things. She would state her truth no matter what the situation. She would say things about management in staff meetings that were true. We were glad she said it, but the rest of us didn’t have the nerve to speak up. Often it was the catalyst to positive change in the department.

Michal always told her truth, especially about herself. She was very gracious and generous toward others. She always saw others in such a positive way. If there was something that needed changing, one knew she was in your corner.

Michal was in remission from breast cancer when I met her. Five years ago, her cancer returned. She continued to work while undergoing chemotherapy treatment. She was so determined to continue her life. She was a prolific writer and wrote a series of books about a fictional hospice nurse. She honored me as she based the social worker in her books on my style of work. She teased as said she made the social worker younger like Tara, one of our thirty-something co-workers.

Michal moved to Michigan, a few years ago, to be near her family. She underwent dozens of cancer treatment trials. Through it all, she continued with her writing. We stayed in contact through e-mails and Facebook. Michal would honestly tell you about the status of her cancer, but one never got the sense that she was struggling at all.

Michal handled her illness like she handled everything else in life. She accepted what came her way with honestly and candor. I heard last week from another co-worker that she wasn’t doing well. This poem is about the last e-mail she wrote me ten days prior to her death. What she shared so described who she was as a person.

I will miss hearing from her, but know that I am a better person to have had her in my life. She lived and died by her truth with dignity and grace. Following is a quote from one of Michal’s books.

“Death is always sudden, even though it takes a long, long time.”


MY FRIEND

　
I never really thought she would die,
even though I was told she was close.
But when I heard the news yesterday,
I was shocked; I was so surprised.

She put up a fight for over five years.
She continued to work as long as she could.
She made goals; she had plans.
She lived her life to the fullest.

She was always a straight shooter.
She would say what was on her mind.
She would tell you like it was;
about you and especially about herself.

She was extremely creative.
She was a prolific writer.
She published many books
about our work; our daily experiences.

She moved away to be near family.
We kept in contact through e-mails.
She mailed me one of her novels.
She wouldn’t let me pay the cost.

“It is an honor to give it to a friend.
Why do I need money?
Where I am going,
the roads are paved with gold.”

Memories full of dignity.
Legacy full of grace.
Thank you my friend.
May you have forever peace.