Phantom Bridge

Almost 4 years ago my friend Debbie lost her valiant fight against cancer. With her passing I lost a friend, hiking partner, confident and co-worker.

There are so many things I miss about her. Her humor, her certainty that she was right, and her absolute love of her friends and family.

One of the long standing jokes between us was Phantom Bridge. A place that she hiked to as a young girl and a place that she tried to find to take us over and over again. We probably went on search about 5 times a season. Over the years we began to call it Deb's "mythical place". When she passed away we still had not found it and I so wished we could have done that together.

Last Friday my backpacking group found Phantom Bridge. As I hiked to the top I was filled with a renewed sense of how much I missed Debbie. I stood there and gazed out over the misty hills and thought of her.

I think there will always be a Debbie sized hole in my life but I think it is not the hole that is important. It is the many ways that she added to my life.

Her life changed me and I guess when you think about it, that is the best tribute of all.....

Just Connie