Hats Off to a Good Friend, Hattie Howard: The Woman With the Smile That Never Breaks
27th of January 2016
I don't even know where to start with this one. I've already deleted this five times. I knew this day was coming, but I had hoped for a miracle. My friend, Hattie Howard (pictured to the left. She's the one on the right) passed away January 26 from a long battle with breast cancer. Although I know she suffers no more, I wish she didn't have to leave us so soon. We graduated from the same high school, and we were introduced to each other by our friend Aimee (on the left in the picture). This picture was taken when our friend, Jane, was making a visit from Kansas City. It had been such a long time since I've seen either of them. That night was full of laughs and good times. Hattie just had this presence that made everyone smile because she was always smiling. That night was pretty much a high school reunion for us. It also brought back my faith that there are good people out in this world.
Hattie had a smile on her face her entire life. Even through all the aggressive treatments she went through, she was smiling. When I would go on her Facebook and see everyone visiting her, she still had a smile on her face. While the treatments did damage to her body, her spirit was unbreakable. Hattie was and still is unbreakable. While I don't believe in God or Jesus, I do believe that Hattie is still around in a spiritual sense. Her smile still brightens my days. It is the most contagious smile known to exist. To say Hattie was a strong woman is an understatement. She was a great mother and wife, and everyone loved her. I only wish I had spent more time with her because she made everyone around her want to be a better person. I will remember Hattie not only for her love for singing, but for also bringing compassion in this world at such a young age and spreading it to everyone she talked to. She had a wonderful sense of humor, and she always made those around her feel comfortable by involving them. I refuse to say that she lost her battle with cancer because although she's not around physically, her spirit never broke. I could only dream of being as strong as Hattie. She always knew that nothing can break her spirit, and that's one life lesson that she has taught me through all of this. I'm going to miss my friend, Hattie, but I know we'll meet again someday. Thanks for the memories, Hattie.
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