When I discovered who bought the violin, I cried.

I sold the violin. And when I discovered who bought it, I had to sit and cry….

Roberta is one of the most amazing people I’ve ever known. I first met her at Portneuf Medical Center. I desperately wanted to work as the manager of primary care, but even I knew it was a long shot. Yet, over a month after the interview, I got the job and sat in my new office talking with one of the providers: Roberta. 

“I wanted you to be the manager,” she said, and my heart swelled. I’d recently studied the patient feedback ratings and had already grown an immense amount of respect for this woman. The patients absolutely loved her—actually leaving comments about her wonderful bedside manner. It became obvious that each day she changed lives. 

Years passed and our friendship grew. I’ll never forget smiling and laughing over falafel or when I had to get a serious surgery in 2018. We went out to eat and I got all decked out in what we dubbed my “uterus dress,” because it’s the last time I’d get to go out on the town—with my uterus. Even during the tough times, Roberta just has a way of making everything fun, better, and somehow unforgettable.

In 2020, when my cancer progressed from stage 2 to 4, my previous coworkers at primary care were the first to know. Several of them cried with me and told me they were there if I needed anything. I’ll never forget when Roberta gave me a huge gift filled with various scarves and other things after I lost my hair. 

Then…Roberta got cancer. I bawled because I know how hard this journey is. I feel like a lot of people “think” they know what it’s like having cancer, but no one fully understands unless they’ve gone through it themselves. My heart broke knowing the journey my friend would be embarking on.

Despite fighting through treatments herself, she still found time to visit me, bring me a Viking helmet (that matched her own), and play music with me on a day that I needed cheering up the most. 

So you can imagine how much this meant when I realized that she bought the repurposed, steampunk violin from me. The genuine warrior who has fought and smiled and brought the best out of everyone despite her own plight. 

You see, Mike and I repurposed the violin because it was on my bucket list. And then, after it turned out so well, we decided to use it for something else. I have a lot of bills because of trips to Utah and treatments there. I had to ask for money in the past, but that is mortifying. So I decided to try to think of something else. Earning money to pay for my treatments. I was amazed to see that the violin got 14 bids! But what touched my heart more than anything is who ended up buying it. 

This is the violin that Mike and I repurposed:

It’s not just this one action, but dozens built up over years of friendship. Roberta has fought cancer, and yet she’s still doing things to make life better for everyone around her. She’s the purest example of kindness. Truly. 

I’m so grateful for this friendship…so grateful for Roberta. Thank you—for everything. 🥰

Below you can see me—trying to look…surprised in the hat Roberta gave me. Who knows what that face is 🤣🤦‍♀️ 

And this is my sweet Roberta 💓