Today after the horse show at Harrogate there was a memorial gathering at Lori's house in Mount Albert. It was organized by Lori's family in the States and her mother, father, step mother, brother and aunt all attended. It was a chance for everyone to remember her as a good friend and as someone who contributed to the welfare of horses and animals all her life.
It was also an opportunity to meet others who had known Lori and to share memories and stories about her. Not too surprising, a lot of the stories contained references to her acerbic sense of humour but I think it was agreed by most that Lori used her 'hard' side to shield a very sensitive, generous and caring soul.
The gathering provided a much needed sense of closure for Lori's Canadian friends since we were so used to her going to Florida in the fall and returning around this time of year. Speaking for myself there was a jarring 'finality' to seeing all of the photographs and all of the letters that had been written about her. Despite knowing that she passed away almost two months ago, somehow I guess there was always a part of me that thought I would see her driving up to the farm again.
There is a lot to be learned from how Lori handled her battle with cancer, how strong she was and how much she seemed to appreciate the friendship that everyone offered to her. It is also not unimportant to remember that each day we have is a gift and that we shouldn't waste a moment.
None of us have an endless supply of tomorrows and losing such a vibrant, intelligent caring friend at such a young age should remind us all to live each day to the fullest.
Rest in peace Lori.
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