We all have people in our lives that we call “friends.” More important I believe friends become
family.
This particular friend of mine is very special because she
was my first friend here when I moved from Puerto Rico to Orlando. We met in high school during a period of my
life where I was missing all of my childhood friends and adjusting to the changes
that take place when you relocate to a different city. Ever since we met, we’ve shared many laughs, great
memories and incredible school years. We
still share many mutual friends from high school and continue to be very close.
I am her “secret box” because I get to
keep all her secrets safe and would never share her feelings, emotions or
stories with anyone. As I see it, we
share an incredible life together and talk about anything and everything;
nothing is held back.
Here we are 21 years later and we continue to have a true
friendship with moments of laughter, happy days and pure love and respect for
each other. Her name is Mariely. The minute we met it was an instant
connection. I could be myself; funny, goofy, outgoing, loud and obnoxious and
because of that one day she said “from now on I’m going to call you Petraca.” Petraca was a character from a comedy show in
Puerto Rico from the early 1990s. From
that day on, all my friends started calling me “Petraca” and I got to entertain
each of them with jokes, stories and some acting skills.
Mariely and I shared many significant events in our lives
together. I was the maid of honor at her
wedding and she did most of the planning for mine including putting together my
bridal shower. We visited many
different places together such as Clearwater, Puerto Rico, Daytona and even
took a ski trip to North Carolina to name a few. She has been there for me throughout my life
to listen, encourage and give much support when needed. It was about two years ago when I picked my
BFF’s club. These were people in my life
that went beyond the word “friend.”
These six important women were given the title “Aly’s BFF Club” meaning
they are my sisters.
Mariely was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer in early
2008. It was at the time that she gave birth to her third child that she got
the news. The newborn was her strength
to fight the illness and do everything in her power to be there for her
children. In 2010, after undergoing some
tests it was discovered that the cancer had spread to her liver. Since then I have been with her through the
process of chemo treatments and other changes that have taken place in her
life. For over two years we had our
“Tuesday Funday.” This was a day where
we would go for her to get her two hour chemo treatment, have a great lunch and
then go shopping afterwards.
Today I find myself closer to her than ever before and I
consider her as part of my family. Her condition has been changing quickly
within the last 30 days. I volunteered
to take the night shift at the hospital to be with her in order to provide
support, encouragement and assistance. I
stay with her all night while her children, husband and family get the rest they
need. I admire her determination to
fight back. She is truly a warrior with
amazing strength and perseverance. We continue to make all the accommodations necessary for her comfort.
Invest time with people and develop a lifetime friendship
with them. I have incredible friends and
feel blessed every day to have them in my life. It starts by sharing your blessings, wisdom
and time with others. It is rewarding to
feel the love from a friend and be able to see them as part of your family. I
encourage you to build more long-lasting friendships in your life.
Disclaimer: This blog was written while taking care of her at the hospital. Mariely passed away on Saturday August 17, 2013.
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