I lost a friend today.
CindieLee Hendon, who saw me through some of my extreme lows and highs as I left teen years and headed into adulthood, died today. I’m still trying to wrap my head around that. So close to the first anniversary of my mother’s death, I just don’t think a part of me will allow for me to start processing this just yet. Instead, it swirls memories of watching her son Morgan (introducing him to South Park – yes, I know, I’m going to hell for that), or her pride when she bought the house that she still lived in on her own after a rough divorce.
One day I was at work at the little ISP in St. Marys when I got a bit of a shock of Cindie and her husband rushing in. She looked frantic, her hair tied up tightly in a bandana.
“Amber! Help me! I colored my hair, and it’s PURPLE.” she said to me and my at-that-moment fuchsia hair.
I took her into the employee bathroom and she pulled off the bandana. Sure enough, it was a gorgeous amethyst on her head, when she was trying for a medium auburn. While Cindie was a daredevil in some respects, we could agree that going to PTA meetings in the late-90’s probably wouldn’t have gone over all that well.
She tucked her hair back up and I sent her off with a list of things to get from the beauty supply shop, and then we fixed it to a darker auburn than her normal, but the amethyst was no more. I really wish that I’d gotten a photo of that then, and really, I think she’d get a giggle if I could have posted it now.
Good night and joy be with you…
