Norma Agnes

A story about someone I once loved and in some way a little piece of me still does.

 A woman of courage, determination, faith and humor. She lost her battle with cancer  after years of treatment, stress and debilitating side effects not ever wanting to throw in the towel. A  country girl at heart, she loved the bush, but had an affinity with the ocean,  cricket and Aussie rules were in her veins. Running and swimming her time to think and ponder the world she lived in. I can still see her in her little black running duds and singlet running for hours city or country didn’t matter as long as there was space to run. Pounding the pavement before it became popular.

Her strength was loved and admired by many. I read comments on Facebook after her passing, she inspired hundreds of people from around the globe. Her positive never say die attitude gave her more years than was expected, but hey that was just her.

Loud, some would say brash calling a spade a spade she plundered every part of life as if every day was new. Welcoming people into her life with warmth and friendship always offering peace and hospitality. You could say this was her trademark.

 Food and drink were never far away, I remember cooking countless meals for friends, family and even strangers. She didn’t mind a shandy on a hot day, well if the truth be known, as long as it had alcohol she would drink it never to excess mind just enjoyed a drink with friends and of course strangers.

Funny, I say strangers, but they were never strangers for long, neighbors who were strangers then life long friends after only a short time, it was her smile and genuine warmth that drew them in and held them. Her ability to talk the leg of the proverbial chair and laugh with such honesty almost made her a magnet for people. Don’t get me wrong, she had her introspective side, but mostly when we were alone or she was with her best friends and reflecting on her life as it played out.

 Over the past few years with the benefit of social media she took her fight against ovarian cancer to the world and was supported by friends and strangers alike. Her humor and vitality spreading through cyberspace.

Though we had not communicated other than Facebook for several years, why is a long story!  Beyond both our controls, yet when we were able to it seemed that too much time had passed for us to  reconnect in an emotional way so we stuck to superficial banter. A regret I will have until I die, I know we were still friends and I could maybe have been some help to her as she struggled through those years or maybe not. May be I just feel bad and wish things could have been different, whatever the case may have been, I could have made it different.

I will always remember the good times and adventures we had, the many highs and lows of our life together. It was a blast and a time I will never forget.