Death in Geezerville: Remembrance Edition

Today I received sad news...an old friend passed away. She had been in a nursing home for 2 years fighting the fight, but pneumonia happened and this morning she celebrated her last sunrise by going to heaven. We will miss you.

We met over 40 years ago. She had just survived being a doctoral student's wife, and I was working on my doctorate. We had a lot in common and we had nothing in common. She was a Jew, I was a Catholic. She was a southerner, and I was a west coaster...the list of differences went on and on, yet she knew what it was like being a student as she was one too--working on a degree in accounting while putting her husband thru school and rearing 2 little ones. We were  friends, as were our husbands. 

She taught me how to start a garden in a tiny apartment plot. We grew tomatoes and bell peppers--soooo many tomatoes (and, if you know me, you know I don't even like tomatoes). She taught me how to laugh at the absurdities of life, while enjoying liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 

Over the years both families moved--to strange and exotic places and back "home" to the USA again. Both of us went out of our way to visit each other. When we were overseas, we visited them in Taipei...and they visited us in Guam. We saw them return stateside. We visited them when we were RVing. They visited us. We were friends. That's what friends do.

Now my friend is gone. I can't talk to her. I can't be with her. All I can say is "Rest in peace, dear friend. You and your family blessed our life. You will be missed by all who knew you."

As geezers, we need to remember to stay in touch with all of our friends. Friends make us whole. They give us meaning. They are what makes us "tick." Take the time to say I love you to your friends. Take the time to hug your friends. Do it now. It's important. Remember, we're all in this together.