Author Flavia Weedn wrote, "Some people come into our lives and leave footprints on our hearts and we are never, ever the same."

My wife's dear friend Wendi died two weeks ago from pancreatic cancer. She was a courageous fighter, having survived 17 months after her initial diagnosis, which had given her just a few days to live. She had decided that she wanted quality of life and not a quantity of days, allowing her to live long enough for the birth of her granddaughter.Wendi has left a permanent imprint upon many lives, and despite their yearlong friendship ending far too soon, my wife is fortunate to be one of them.This column is dedicated to Wendi's memory. I share her words with you, given to this page by her beloved friends and family.The only thing that can get in the way of your happiness is yourself. Who cares if you are embarrassing to others while you're having fun! Avoid drama from others. You don't need that crap in your life. Sometimes you just have to tell it like it is. Be blunt, but don't be mean.Keep good people around you and never take them for granted.Do the things you love. Don't just settle. Don't hold back. It's good to have goals and dreams. Pick your passion and stick with it.Life is short. It's a cliché. But it's a cliché so we don't ever forget it. Live in the moment. Love yourself every step of the way. You don't have the time to dwell in the bad times. When you're feeling down, picture what you want from life and figure out the steps you need to take to get there.Life is a test. It's not about materialism or money. It's about being good and doing good. Live your life with gratitude for the people who love you and for the next day that you have been given so you can be able to take another breath.You're going to have people come and go in your life. You're going to find out that your really hard times weed out the people who you thought you could count on. Consider yourself lucky if you have one or two good friends.Live with faith. Believe in God. Believe in love, and believe in yourself. And be sure you have compassion and empathy for others.Keep a sense of humor. You need to laugh so hard sometimes that you lose your breath. And don't worry about how you look. You shouldn't care about having a flat stomach. I had rolls from all the bakeries I visited in my life.If you drink, drink scotch. I never had a hangover.Tell your kids that if they want to try anything weird, don't. Tell them you've done it already. Twice.Stop complaining about getting older. I wish I had been given that privilege.And most important, never, ever quit!In Wendi's last few months of her life, it became too physically difficult for her to show how much she loved her family and friends, or to get to church to show how much faith she had in God.In one of her final days, she had asked to see the lake at Bear Creek one more time. Frail and weak, she was helped by her family and close friends to step into the water at the South Beach. She made every effort that day to make the moment not about herself, but about showing her love for the people who were with her.Wendi lived her life selflessly, always putting the needs of others before hers. In her own words, she "soldiered" through her life to fulfill her purpose, and after her death, she promised she would look after cancer survivors, and help them to make sure they are doing all the right things to keep themselves alive.Last week, her family and friends released a monarch butterfly high over the Lehigh River to symbolize Wendi's beautiful life and her free spirit.She lives on in the hearts of the people she loved, leaving them with no doubt in the powerful meaning of her favorite word, "believe."There is life after death.Fly Wendi. Fly!Rich Strack can be reached at

katehep11@gmail.com.