The news of a terminal illness can be taken so many ways. Heartbreaking and devastating, it can easily sink the spirits of everyone who cares about the person. But for party planner Maggie Langston ( @langston_living), she was determined to not let her best friend Amanda's terminal brain tumor steal the joy from their remaining time together.
"Amanda was my dear friend, my fellow hostess, and the life of every party!💃When she was diagnosed with brain cancer, we didn’t wait for the ‘right time’ to celebrate—we made every moment count," she wrote in the caption.
Amanda was my dear friend, my fellow hostess, and the life of every party!💃When she was diagnosed with brain cancer, we...
Posted by Langston Living on Monday, February 24, 2025
33K views · 40 reactions | Amanda was my dear friend, my fellow hostess, and the life of every party!💃When she was diagnosed with brain cancer, we didn’t wait for the ‘right time’ to celebrate—we made every moment count. We ate, we drank, we wore fresh flower crowns, and yes, we sang and danced like silly fools.
Her birthday popped up on my phone this weekend, and I was reminded why I’m so passionate about entertaining. It’s about soaking up every second with the people you love.
Our last lunch together ended in a Copa Cabana conga line—with Amanda leading the way.
This is why I entertain. This is why I make time. Because in the end, these moments are what matter most.
💛 Share with a friend you want to celebrate soon.
#CelebrateEveryMoment #Langstonliving #EntertainingIdeas #MakingMemories #CelebrateEveryMoment #FriendsAndFamily #LifeOfTheParty #partyplanning | Langston Livingwww.facebook.com
Amanda was my dear friend, my fellow hostess, and the life of every party!💃When she was diagnosed with brain cancer, we didn’t wait for the ‘right time’ to celebrate—we made every moment count. We...
The video begins with a voice over from Maggie asking viewers, "What would you do if best friend was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor? Tell you what we did...we pulled out our entertainment pieces and celebrated every second we had together," she says. A photo montage plays with scenes from their lunches of women wearing flower crowns, posing with beautiful tablescapes with smiles from ear to ear.
"Meet Amanda, my dear friend who loved entertaining as much as I do," Langston says, as a number of different photos of her and Maggie posing together before she got sick are shown. "We raised our kids together and shared a love of cooking, cocktails and dancing. She was pure sunshine. And then out of nowhere, a malignant brain tumor. The Glioblastoma took her ability to walk, steroids altered her gorgeous face. Nothing could take her spirit."
Langston then shares how her friends rallied around Amanda. "So we started weekly lunches. We wore fresh flower crowns because she hated losing that beautiful hair. We ate, we drank, and we laughed our asses off," she shared. "Our last lunch together, 'Copacabana' came on, and suddenly we're in a conga line, and Amanda's leading the way."
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She continued, "Now that's the true meaning of entertaining. It's not about the perfect table or the brand of wine--it's about connection. We always say we're too busy, but we're not. When Amanda got sick, we stopped everything. We made time, and you can too. So gather your people before it's too late and celebrate them fiercely. Because this is what matters the most."
Unfortunately, Amanda lost her life to the illness. But her memory continues on in Langston's work. "Her birthday popped up on my phone this weekend, and I was reminded why I’m so passionate about entertaining. It’s about soaking up every second with the people you love," she wrote in the video's caption. In the comments, Langston added, "Cheers to Amanda! I’m sure she’s hosting a fab party in heaven as we speak!"
Cheers GIF by javadoodlesGiphy
And her touching video about celebrating Amanda impacted many viewers. "Oh my heart. What an incredible friendship and way to honor her final time on this side of heaven," one wrote. Another commented, "I agree. Life is to be celebrated. What a vibrant spirit your friend Amanda must have had. God bless her. 🪽" And another viewer added, "I love this!❤️🥲🥰she did it on her terms👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼"
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