Good-bye, my friend

I lost a good friend this week to breast cancer. Gaye Merrill was the Director of Sports Medicine at BYU and an old friend of our family. She was my mentor at school and kept me sane when I didn't think I could do this athletic training thing anymore. When I had such trouble passing the exam, I went to see her on a visit to see my sister in Utah. She was busy, but she said she had time to talk with me. After I told her everything I was dealing with, she told me that it would be ok, to think about what I really wanted, and then go from there. Then she smiled at me and said, "Becky, it's just a test." I didn't realize it until later, but I don't think she was really talking about the board exam. And she was right. It was just a test. I don't remember if I told her that I passed it or not, and that makes me sad. Did I ever say thank you to her for everything she was to me? Did I thank her for her advice? I don't know. I know that she knows now, but that doesn't help much.
But she was more than just a mentor, she was a friend. I always regretted that I never got to work with her at school, but she was a good friend of my mom and dad when they were at school, so we already had this bond. From my first few days at BYU, I'd stop by to say hi. She always asked about each of our family members and knew them by name. She asked me how my life was going, when I was getting into the program, what I wanted to do. And every single time, she told me to tell my mom hi. Every time, without fail. That's the kind of friend she was.
I have a new job, which I'll blog about later, and I had a few names for references. Gaye was #1 on that list. I have no idea if she was contacted about this job, but I have a feeling. I hope that when I leave this life, she'll be my reference over there. I know that her opinion will mean a lot.
Thanks for everything, Gaye. I'll miss you.