It's Loretta's birthday today. It's hard to believe that she's been dead since 2002. July 9th, to be exact. I miss her. Some people loom so large in your life that they leave a huge hole in your heart when they're gone. No matter what good fortune comes to you, there will always be an empty part of you. I didn't realize how much I loved Loretta until she was gone and I felt the hole in my heart where she used to be.