Today I pay tribute to a dear friend – Regina Green Hawkins -- who recently passed from cancer.

Although Regina was very sick, she fought a long, courageous fight and died peacefully, watched over by her loving husband.

The news hit like a Mac truck. The voice on the telephone was that of my best friend’s husband, Michael, delivering devastating news that his wife was gone.

Immediately the tears rolled down my cheeks quickly turning into a faucet of water I couldn’t seem to stop. In between gasps of breath, I could hear Mike’s voice, but his words were inaudible.

I met Regina, a native of Washington, D.C., our freshmen year at Johnson C. Smith University. However, it was when we became roommates that our friendship blossomed, spanning 20-plus years.

Our friendship was a wonderful journey …

Our First Place: I recall when we moved into a small rental. Never mind that neither of us could cook; we had our own place, in close proximity to campus. We boiled chicken so much that we clucked. And ate honey buns almost daily. Regina’s rice was always pasty. The college cafeteria was our respite.

Walking the Catwalk: Because we both liked wearing heels, we didn’t think about the commute to class without a car. Thankfully we would always catch a ride from another student traveling the same route. Wearing sneakers and changing into our heels was not an option. Looking back, I can imagine the pitiful site of us trekking two long blocks, with book bags and wearing heels.

Driving Miss Daisy: I convinced my then-college sweetheart to allow us to ‘borrow’ his car. Neither Regina nor I had a driver’s license. The deal was that we’d find a licensed driver. On this day, our ‘regular’ driver was nowhere to be found, and we had to get to the mall. Therefore we decided to drive ourselves.

Things went well until his car -- a stick shift -- got stuck in reverse. It took 30 minutes before I figured how to change gears. To make matters worse, I sideswiped another car once we were back on the road. After being stuck in rear, we ignored common sense to park the vehicle. Thankfully no one was hurt. This incident put an end to our driving escapades, until we legally obtained licenses.

When I think of my big events, I think of Regina. We shared each other’s joys, the birth of my daughter, my daughter graduating from college, the passing of our mothers and her union with her best friend, Mike. In fact, I still have the bright fuchsia pumps I wore in their wedding. Over the years, as my shoe collection grew, I always made room for those wedding shoes, still in their original, now-tattered shoe box.

The last time I saw Regina was at a college homecoming. She was excited to arrive because side effects from the cancer medications didn’t allow her to travel much. With coaxing from Mike, she attended what was to be her last Homecoming. Regina, who was a talented college swimmer, was being honored by the athletic booster club.

At the conclusion of the night, we did what we always did at Homecoming -- party!

Arriving back at my house, we stayed up all night talking, giggling, reminiscing about our college days and just enjoying each other’s company. The next day, we nearly missed the football game due to extreme fatigue from lack of sleep. But I’d do it all again, for Regina.
As I prepare to pay my last respects, I am reminded of the blessing of my good health. And I’m thankful that God allowed an angel -- Regina Maria Green Hawkins -- to grace my life.

My pain is still fresh and the tears have not all dried. But I find comfort in the words of Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.”

My life was better because of Regina. Rest in peace. I love you.

In health and wellness.
***
Sondra E. Z. Hines is an adjunct professor of health and wellness and is certified to teach group fitness and Zumba. Email: sondraezhines@yahoo.com

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