Inner Circle

It's been almost a year since my mother inlaw passed away, and she still has the ability to bring people together. My mother inlaw was the "glue" that kept everybody connected in my husband's family. Beyond family, she was also the "glue" that kept her inner circle of friends together, she was always planning "dinner nights", "sisterhood nights" or "movie nights" with her friends (sometimes these included their husbands, and sometimes not). She was never too busy to keep in touch.

We spent this past weekend in my husband's hometown with his family and my mother inlaw's closest friends (her inner circle). Last Saturday night all of us went out to dinner to her favorite Italian restaurant. Sunday morning we met everyone at the cemetery. We all gathered around my mother inlaw's gravesite and we each took turns sharing some memories of her. Once again my mother inlaw was the "glue", she was bringing us all together.

While listening to the many memories that were being shared, and seeing tears being wiped (and shedding a few of my own tears), I took in the moment. My mother inlaw was surrounded by the people that meant the most to her in her life, her "inner circle". She would've been so happy to see everyone together! I could just imagine her looking down with a big smile on her face, and laughing, crying along with us. R.I.P Cheryl we miss you!