Requiem for a friend

A few hours ago, I got the news that my friend Darcy died this morning. She was 35, and was diagnosed with ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a little over two years ago. She was lucky enough -- and that's exactly the way she put it -- during this period to have found the love of her life, to have bought a beautiful house with him and to have given birth to their sweet, sweet son. She was an incredible writer, a beloved teacher and a generous, warm-hearted friend. I am stunned that she is gone, and will be eternally grateful that I had the chance to know her.