farewell, lizzybee
I just got word this morning that a reader I've known since my first book was released died this week. Elizabeth Benway (also known as "lizzybee") and her daughter were killed in an automobile accident. It's believed that the road conditions caused by Hurricane Katrina may have played a part in their van going off the road.
This is terrible, horrible, heartbreaking news. Just when I was beginning to think the worst was over, too, & my mind had started to wrap itself around the devestation in Louisiana and surrounding states. I've been keeping an eye on the survivor lists, watching for the names of friends & acquaintances to pop up, praying they're all safe. I'd been worried about friends like Delores Fossen & Jan Zimlich, & breathed a sigh of relief when I found out they were okay. And now this.
It's times like these that remind us--after we've said our prayers, made our donations, & watched uncountable hours of news coverage--of how lucky we really are. The rest of us, that is.
I keep a gratitude journal, anyway...I try to write in it on a regular basis, but especially during the times when things are rough or I'm feeling especially put-upon. I keep it to remind myself that even when nothing seems to be going right, I am still damn lucky. Even in a pit of depression, I can usually list 30 to 50 things that I'm grateful for--not the least of which is my health, my family's health, my pets' health, etc.
Today, the list is closer to 100. And one of those items is Elizabeth Benway. I am grateful that she existed in this life at the same time I did, & that I was able to get to know her just a little before she passed away. I'm grateful that she was such an huge lover of the romance genre, & that she was passionate enough about the books she read to share that enthusiasm with the world.
Rest in peace, Lizzy. And if Heaven is any kind of Heaven at all, may they have a limitless supply of romance novels to keep you entertained.
