Leigh

Feels like lately when I write is has something to do with death and grief. My sweet precious friend Leigh went home to be with Jesus last night after a long courageous battle with cancer. I met Leigh about 7 years ago when Christopher took a youth ministry job at the church she attended. Her daughter Brianna was in our youth group and our children adored “Banana” so we naturally grew to love Brianna's parents. Leigh played the piano with Christopher and they started working on some contemporary music which they both loved. Leigh was one of those people that tried to and was really good at pleasing everyone around her. I think that quality was what made me want to begin to form a friendship with her. We took her and Brian to CCYC with us each year as the other set of chaperons and we really formed a strong bond with both of them.

In 2015 Leigh and I found out our cancer had returned. Her's in her breast and mine in my kidney. We found out within weeks of each other. We used the same oncologist and were having treatment at the same time which caused us to form a bond like none other. She loving referred to me as her Big C Buddy. Leigh loved nicknames and referred to mine quite often. We started to keep a journal together to help us have someone to vent too...she called it the LeBeck Journal and we would trade the journal on Sunday's when we would see each other at church. There was funny stuff, sad stuff, and serious stuff written each week by each other. She could write better than anyone I've ever known. She had a way with words and she loved making special cards to send to people around her.

The great thing about Leigh was I could totally be myself around her and she accepted me as mouthy, loud and crazy as I was and she still loved me. She would look at me sometimes and give me that “You really shouldn't say that” look and remind me to be quiet. She was the reason I tried to support my husband at church so much even when it had become so hard to do. She would say “Rebecca, you know he needs you here with him.” That was advice that I will never forget.

I'm going to miss our late night text messages the most.....the ones I could tell that she really needed to be asleep during because they didn't always make sense. I'm going to miss her corny sense of humor. I'm going to miss her calling me SnuggleBucket because she knew I hated it. I'm going to miss her being able to tell what I was thinking and telling me to not say it out loud. I'm going to miss all of our inside “Neighbor” jokes. I'm just going to miss my friend. My heart is broken because she isn't here but I know she received her ultimate prize for a race that she fought hard to win. And she did win just not the reward I selflessly wanted her to win here on this earth.