O’Hare’s C concourse is as full as ever. As usual, I hope to run into someone I know, particularly someone I haven’t talked to in years. What good are long layovers otherwise?

I’m en route to Michigan. There I’ll definitely see people I haven’t seen in a good while. There will be hugs and moments of “so what have you been up to?” And there will also be tears.

These are the steps I don’t ever wish for, steps that remind me to speak up more often, to write letters, call, touch base…just because, just to hear the other person’s voice, to say “thank you”, swap jokes, pray…

I prayed she’d recover, live much longer, live well. I hoped. Even naming her is hard. Perhaps because of all the moments she spoke to me like a mom. And mom’s aren’t supposed to die.

Say many prayers for her 3 children. They have many more steps to take, steps I can’t even imagine.