Monday, Nov. 17, 2008, Anchorage, Alaska~

Dear Journal~

Jenna Aurora here.  Hope this finds you well; I'm afraid I'm not in the best of spirits.

You see, one of my friends died yesterday.  She was in her forties.  She died of multiple sclerosis.

I just got an e-mail from her brother, Mattaq.  He is understandably devastated. 

I am now sitting here in my room, crying, as I write this.  It seems that no matter how hard I try, I can't stop the tears that are falling from my eyes.

I had known Sikik for the past several years; she was a very wonderful friend, a gentle, loving, giving spirit.  Then she got sick a year or so ago, and this year, the disease just took over, and it ultimately killed her.  She had the progressive form of MS, the kind that kills; there was really nothing that could be done to help her, make her better.

I now have to make arrangements to go to the wake and funeral; those will probably take place later this week or the start of next week. 

I haven't been to a funeral since my own parents passed; I don't like going to funerals; I try to avoid going to funerals at all costs.  Funerals creep me out!!

Michael is here, watching me as I type this down.  He looks just as shocked as I do.  He can't believe that she's gone either.  It seems just a few months ago, Sikik was walking on her crutches, laughing, talking, enjoying life; then her disease worsened, turned her into a helpless lump, a shell of her former self, and it was very disturbing to see. 

Now she's gone; she dances among the northern lights.  (She didn't believe in God; she believed in the spirit realm.)  I had been praying for her salvation; I pray she got to know Jesus before it was too late!!

All I can do now is pray and hope.  And mourn her passing.

The weather here is cold, cold.  Nothing unusual for this time of year here in Alaska.  We've already had snow; it looks like a Christmas picture postcard.  Truly beautiful.  Some days we have sun; the sun isn't out for long; soon the Long Dark will be upon us, where it is dark for a good part of the day.  The northern lights play their magical dance in our skies; truly mesmerizing to look at.

I wonder if the lights had any forebearing of Sikik's dying:  yesterday morning, they were a brilliant, angry red color.  The Native People believe that if there's an all red aurora, there will be bad things happening shortly thereafter.  Chilling, if you think about it!

I now know that's just silly nonsense, but sometimes I can't help but think about that from time to time!

Well, Michael wants to e-mail his family, to tell them about Sikik, so I will go for  now.  I will write in here again soon; until later, this is Jenna Aurora signing off for now.  Take care and God bless!  Just keep me in your prayers; I really can use them!

~Love, Jenna Aurora Doucet. :(