dearest angela,
when i heard about your passing, i almost got in my car and started driving to nowhere. no destination planned, just an endless cruise around savannah. sound familiar? whether impromptu trips to hilton head or what seemed to take forever drives to atlanta, you and i always liked the constant hum and drum of a car in motion. music on and the windows down, we always wanted to go somewhere else. no need to fluff the pillows now. don’t worry about replanting the flowers. the organizing and hanging of art work can wait, right? get your bag, pack some snacks, and let’s just get the hell out of here. when you started to feel worse, driving you around became more important. the thought of staying inside all day just wasn’t going to happen, so off we went, with no course of action. it wasn’t easy trying to guess the places you wanted to go to. i learned savannah because of you. don’t take derenne because you’ll never make it on time and stay clear of victory drive during the lunch hour rush. i knew the shortcuts. i knew the secret hideaways. i knew of places that only you would share with me. and although it would take us HOURS to get to a place 14 miles away, i will miss the sharp left turns to see what houses may be for sale. i will miss the endless u-turns. i will miss running my car around this city with you laughing hysterically in the back seat. some of my most favorite memories of you, of us, are those moments in my car. so many wonderful things were shared, so many wonderful conversations were had when you and i were together in my car. i think some of our more funny, poignant, crazy, inappropriate stories were told while driving. no wonder i had no idea where the hell i was going. you always distracted me.
i hope you are surrounded by fabulousness wherever you may be now and i hope that this is just the beginning. i know you have so many other places and people to see. and probably so many things you want to do. keep this with you: i will remember you for the rest of my life. i learned so much about living and being and loving from you. i will take our time together with me. and, as promised, we will always have paris.
i love you with everything i am.
yours,
caryn {mavis, grandbaby, sweet girl, peach, jelly bean, etc}
