I received news of Susan Niebur’s passing today and am feeling so very sad. Reading her husband’s post today and her posts over the last few months on Toddler Planet has just wrecked me.
I want to use this space to send my prayers and love to Susan in spirit, to her family and to the many people who loved her.
I never knew Susan but feel like I do. I can never imagine what it’s like for her husband and family, but reading Susan’s frank and loving posts brought back real and raw decade-old memories of the last months with my friend Erin Kramp before she passed away from breast cancer. It was such an intense time. I remember like it was yesterday talking with Erin endlessly about every topic under the sun, trying to squeeze it all in, in between regulating her oxygen intake to keep her breathing and comfortable. Our book had come out just two months before and with the rush of celebrations and attention, we both had thought that maybe her health might hold out longer. But then, she got weaker very quickly and we knew. In the end, we were both thankful that we got to say goodbye and tell each other how much we loved each other in an unrushed way. Not everyone gets that time, as they say. I still miss her and think of her most every day.
In Susan’s posts at Christmas time, she thought she would probably have more time too. I ache for her, her family and loved ones, wishing that that were so.
Susan’s husband Clay posted to Toddler Planet today. In part, he said,
She is survived by her family, friends, achievements, and the indelible marks she made on people around the world. In lieu of flowers, please consider furthering Susan’s legacy through a contribution to the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Or please choose to make a difference somewhere, anywhere, to anyone.
In honor of Susan, Clay and their family, let’s all do both.
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