One of the people I admired most in Jr. High and High School died last week.

I had tried over the years to get in touch with her, but was never able to. I had not seen her since Graduation Day. Still, I almost named my little girl after this extraordinary friend.

Last week I found out from a newly connected FaceBook friend that she had died from cancer. She was a wife and mother of three young children ages 10, 4 and 2 years old.

Then I found her CarePages. If you have not yet found CarePages, this is probably a very good thing. I still have two other friends on CarePages.

CarePages is a website that lets a person with a threatening disease or condition update friends and family quickly and easily on their health and wellbeing. And the friends and family can write 'well wishes' in a comments section. In the cases where they are very very sick, others can log in for them, and give updates. It is like a collection of blogs for the unwell.

It is a wonderful place. And a terrible place at the same time.

But I thank God that I was able to read Elika’s journey on CarePages because I missed out on helping her fight that illness. I feel like I got to spend an extra day or so with her and catch up.

Her work to post her thoughts on her CarePages was a gift to those of us who loved her.

And thanks to FaceBook, I was able to find out in time to attend her lovely "Celebration of Life" service.

I was not a big fan of FaceBook, and all places cold and electronic. I prefer seeing my friends on a barstool, martinis in hand. But something pretty special was there to be found for me this past week....and therefore, I got to say goodbye to a friend.

Thank you internets.

And now a few words from my dear friend Elika herself:

Do you remember that Donny & Marie song from the close of their old TV show? Despite some memory loss due to chemo, I still remember all the words. "May tomorrow be a perfect day, may you find love and laughter along the way, may God keep you in his tender care, 'til he brings us together again".

I love the inference in the song that God only need watch over us until we’re back with Donny & Marie for the next show. In any case, I do like the words to the song, and I hope above all, that whoever it is that’s watching over us keep you and yours in good health, good spirits and good humor.