Well, I guess it's time to move on to the next phase of grieving ... acceptance. I don't want to ... Lord knows I didn't cry this much when my own mother died ... but life goes on, and everybody who knew Lynne understands that she was exceptionally good at living. So best to get on with it. Part of the healing process is to talk ... so I hope you'll bear with me a bit, because I sorely need to do just that ... talk about my friend.
I first met her, what was it ... 10 years ago? I followed a link on ScubaBoard to her personal blog and read about her adventures in Open Water class. She so completely captured the stereotype of the clueless student that I decided right away that I just HAD to meet this woman. So when a club dive gave the opportunity, I arranged to be her dive buddy. Took about a millisecond to warm up to her ... if she was a perfume I'd have labeled her "Essence of Enthusiasm". I'd have sworn she was part puppy. And it took all of about five seconds underwater to realize that she was in serious need of a mentor. So I volunteered, and that was the beginning of a friendship that's been a fundamental part of my life ever since. It didn't take long to recognize her meticulous nature, and I casually mentioned to her that there was this class called "Fundamentals" that I thought she'd enjoy and get a lot out of. That turned out to be the understatement of the decade. And so was born the Borg Queen.
Over the years we've gone on trips together, had many memorable dives, shared company at each other's homes, laughed ... sometimes grieved the loss of other friends. Lynne was a ray of sunshine ... one of those people who can light up a room simply by walking into it (often with a glass of wine in her hand) and striking up a conversation. I met a lot of you through Lynne ... sometimes at her home. There was the classic "And Lynne Was Furious" toast at Peter's birthday party. The trips to the Channel Islands. Many hours spent exchanging posts and emails. The dive when she saw her first sixgill shark ... and so many others. Lynne was the steadiest friend a person could ever hope for. If I have any regrets, it's those times when we could have spent time together, and I opted not to ... always thinking there would be other opportunities later on. Never in my wildest imaginings did it ever occur to me that I'd be grieving her passing ... it was her that always worried about me, after all ... I always assumed I'd go first.
I learned a lot from Lynne ... about diving ... about life. Her friendship came with conditions, but they were always reasonable and easy to achieve ... and so worth it. I can only hope to spend the rest of my days paying those lessons forward, and passing friendship on to others in the manner that she did. Her body may have passed from this world, but her spirit never will. She'll live within my memories, and within my heart ... as I'm sure she will for many of you ... until the day I pass from this earth and we meet once again.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
