10 Years

Next month, I will celebrate my 27th Birthday. But April 28th hasn't always been a day for celebrating. Ten years ago on April 28, 1998 my best friend lost his mother to cancer and all of our lives were changed forever.

Growing up, Tim and I each had two moms, mine and his. I met Tim on his 6th birthday and we've been best buds ever since. Ironically, his mom left us on my 17th birthday. Mrs G was everything a kid could ever want in a "second mom". She always treated me like one of the family and when she passed away, I lost a special person in my life. But aside from being my birthday, it wasn't about me. It was about my best friend who lost his mother before he turned 16. I'll never forget sitting with Tim that night just holding him as he wept in my arms. He was forced to grow up basically overnight and he became a man that Mrs G would be terribly proud of.

In the last ten years, Tim has played a major role in a school play, he has graduated from high school and college where he served as school president. Mrs G wasn't able to see any of these events as we have but she has had a bird's eye view for every one of them. A year ago he was married to his sweetheart and next month they will welcome a beautiful baby into this world. I secretly had hoped that the baby would come on April 28th, thinking how perfect it would be to have everything come full circle ten years later. Something tells me that the doctors wont let it go that long but even if its not the exact day, it will most likely be the same month and the circle will be complete.

On April 28, 1998 Amy Gabrielli left this world far too early. In April of 2008, Tim and Jess Gabrielli will bring life into this world and I could not be prouder of my best friend. I can't wait to get that phone call and I can honestly say that I am not ashamed to admit that I will be crying when I do.

Tim is my brother. Jess is my little sister. Uncle Markus loves that baby already. And somewhere in Heaven a grandmother will be smiling.