Its the day after Christmas, but the holiday isn't done. Carol and Pat are coming today for a girls coffee klatch. Later, Chris and Marge are coming . Chris has 2 presents waiting for him...and I have one gift coming with Chris. On Tuesday, Judy and Doris and I are going out for tea. Both of these dear friends have been to Paris. I am going, too. They promise to share insiders guide to the city. The reason I am going is a sad reason.

Dee called me from Florida. She has been diagnosed with lung cancer. She is a smoker. How any one can think of smoking, is beyond my understanding. Teenagers think it makes them look grown up. Instead, it makes them look stupid. After a time, smoking will make them look dead. What a deal. One pays money and agree to become addicted to nicotine. In return, you increase your probability of dying from cancer. Why would anyone with even a grain of common sense agree to such a bargain? Paying a large corporation to make them sick?

Dee was one of those people. She has smoked for decades. It finally got to her lungs....after years of lung problems...pneumonia every winter, for example. (Stephen, are you listening?)

We were three and four years old when We met. Her parents bought the house just two doors down from my parents. We started to play right away. The moving van was still unloading furniture. I wish I could say that We stayed connected all these years, but the truth is that We lost track of each other. The dividing line between two school districts was right between our houses. I walked one way to school and Dee walked down the block in the other direction.

Dee admired my Mom's business sense. Perhaps my mother was a model for Dee. They both went into the same business field: real estate. My mom bought and sold houses. Dee bought houses and kept them, rented them out. In time, my childhood friend became a millionaire. When Mom was in assisted living, Dee contacted her. They had been writing to each other all this time. In this way, I got Dee's address from my mother. Dee and I picked up where We left off.

One of the things We wanted to do, was to travel together. shouldn't two retirees be able to drop everything and take a trip? We discussed it. Dee wanted to go back to Paris. She has been there two times before. She loves that city. We would see it together, but not at this time. We were both too busy. I flew down to Fort Lauderdale and spent a wonderful vacation with my friend...catching up on marriages, children, grandchildren...hopes and disappointments.

Then, she got the news from her doctor. After three months of chemotherapy, probably wearing a wig to hide her bald head, my old friend and I are going to see Paris together.