The Ocean

My best friend’s father passed away when I was living in Alabama. The funeral was a ten hours’ drive away but I packed up the toddler and drove to be there. He had been declining for a period of time. When I arrived for the visitation, I remember C and I standing outside talking as she took a break from greeting and comforting others. She said to me that she always wondered with me always seeming to be living far away if I would be there for this event in her life. This has been on my mind quite a bit this week for two reasons. First, a dear friend of mine is suffering a great loss in her life and if I didn’t have an ocean to cross I would be there to pay my respects and offer her a shoulder to cry on as she has offered to me so many times. Second, I see A. struggling with missing out as her friends in the U.S. move along. She is always happy to hear their voices when she talks to them but it’s a constant reminder that life moves on, they move on without her, and I have to keep encouraging her to do the same. On the positive side, you learn who and what is important. People can surprise you, and sometimes those who reach out aren’t necessarily the ones you expect.