I believe somethings in life happen by chance, and somethings in life or meant to be....
Certain people are meant to be in your life.
That is how it was when I met Erika almost 28 years ago.
She was working in Princeton at Steilmans, and I came in to shop for professional clothing to start my career. I ended up being ther for over 4 hours with Erika and I having so much fun, as if we had been friends for years.
And friends for years we would become. Soon I met Mark, her husband, her soul mate and love of her life. Then I was lucky to met their close friends and become friends as well, Including Roselyn and Bob, Dot and Jim, Jean and Tony.
When I had my children Alexis, Amanda and Alec,, Erika and Mark. became like family.
My kids always knew them as Aunt Erika and Uncle Mark. Erika was like my sister.
Throughout the years, we shared so many great times together, I cannot remember an important part of my life that she was not there, from holidays, to vacations all together, to just sitting on the beach and enjoying being together with friends and family. Erika was one of truest souls I have ever known. She always gave her love, her joy, her kindness,
her caring, her intergrity to everyone around her.
She never, in all the years I've known her, asked anything of anyone else.
I am so blessed to have known her,
Going forward I will start to replace the sorrow in my heart with joy, because Erika was always a joyous person. . I will have the wonderful memories of life shared together, and that is a beautiful thing.
Jill Hazen
