Last weekend was tough on El Dorado women. I returned back to town after a week of vacation to learn that three well-known women had died.

Robin Lawrence died Saturday and both Circuit Judge Carol Crafton Anthony and Elizabeth Mason died Sunday. Lawrence was 59 and the other two were 56. There was a time I thought that was old, but time and age have taught me how young 50 and 60 are.

I didn’t know Lawrence that well. We had some mutual friends and I was aware of her battle with cancer. I tend to have a lot of respect for people who are fighting for their life – and stil...