Tag: friend

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Tears of Grief

I stood in my back yard, where everything looked and sounded normal. I stood there with my four dogs, waiting for them to relieve themselves and I was crying, crying tears of grief for my friend whose husband was, at that moment, dying from cancer.

At that moment, my friend was sitting by her husband’s bedside as family gathered, watching her husband fade away as I stood in my backyard waiting for my dogs to relieve themselves. The absurdity of the moment caught me off guard and I looked up towards the heavens and screamed! Nothing made sense anymore.

A smile briefly crossed my lips as the words my husband often reminds me of popped into my head, “You’re right where you’re supposed to be – you’re right where God wants you”! I giggled out loud as I thought, God wants me standing in my back yard watching my dogs relieve themselves when my friend is 700 miles away, watching her husband die?

The smile disappeared as quickly as it appeared. This new pandemic and quarantine was keeping everyone close to home and away from those they loved and it infuriated me. My friend has the faith of a saint and the strength of a warrior, but I knew her heart was breaking and mine was breaking for her and I desperately wanted to be there for her.

But there I stood in my back yard doing the only thing I could do at that moment. I stood there waiting for my dogs to relieve themselves as I cried tears of grief for a life lost and a friend whose life was forever changed.

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These Two Women

I was an observer on the sidelines as a close friend supported her husband in his battle with cancer and eventually, as he lost his battle. Her strength was inspiring, her resilience unending and the sacrifices she made along the way, were admirable, to say the least.

As I approached her at the funeral, I saw such pain and anguish in her eyes that it took my breath away and all I could do was put my arms around her and hug her tightly. I was at a complete loss for words; what do you say to someone who has just spent the last year and a half of her life, watching her soul-mate lose his. As the tears ran down our faces, I love you was all either of us could say, but it was enough, for the moment.

Another close friend is also by her husband’s side as he is facing his battle with cancer. Her positive attitude and sense of humor have not faltered even slightly. She continues each day with the determination of a woman hell-bent on kicking cancer’s ass, but at the same time understanding her reality.

These two women have helped me realize that I need to show up each day with gratitude and a realization that it’s who you have in your life that matters, not what. That life is too short and that I need to use the dreams and passion in my heart to make a difference wherever I can.