Let me begin by saying this:  one of the first rules of responsible blogging is that you never, ever write about other people and their private lives without their permission.  I don't know if the things that I am about to say are what my dear friends had in mind last night when they encouraged me to write about our joint experience.  But what I am about to write is what truly remains with me from the hours we spent together. Sadly, last night, I visited with a dear friend who was saying that most difficult goodbye to someone that she loved.  It was the end of a long period…