5.8.09

My Little Town

Everybody, sing with me now... "Nothing but the dead and dying Back in my little town..." That about sums it up.

I've had enough of death in the past two years to last me well into my 80s. But now, that hooded figure is lurking around again. He took a friend of 20-plus years over the weekend. She was only four months older than I and never smoked a day in her life but succumbed to lung cancer. Speaking of lung cancer and never smoking, the wife of a friend of mine has been diagnosed with it even though she didn't smoke either.

Then there're the brain tumors. A friend and neighbor's tumor was discovered after she had a seizure. Her son had to go back to his city an hour and a half away. She needs someone to stay with her, mostly for balance issues and helping with fine motor skills.

Speaking of staying with friends who need help, I signed up to sit with yet another friend who has colon cancer while his wife is at work. My youngest daughter will go with me since she and his son hang out together at school. His wife warned me that he doesn't look like what I'm used to, having lost his hair and is down to just 125 pounds.

Quite frankly, I'm sick to death of death, dying and bereavement. For once, I'd like to go for more than six months without finding out that another friend has some life-threatening illness.

But the only way to do that is to cut back on the amount of friends we have. Because as the songwriters of this blog's opening song remind us in a different song, "a rock feels no pain and an island never cries."

7 comments:

  1. I'm so sorry the depressing grim reaper seems to be following your friends and family. It seems to go in cycles. It just spirals down, until we go to where there is no more death or sorrow.. Keep your eye on the prize.. and accept at least a virtual {{{{{HUG}}}}} to make you feel a little better!
    Jean

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  2. : (

    Going to sit with your sick fiend is a fine thing to do. Good wishes to your sick friends.

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  3. Well my goodness.... that just stinks. :o( I'm sorry there is so much going on around you that is full of sickness and sadness.

    When stuff like that happens to me, part of me thinks... *there is a lesson in this for me* but the rest of me might silently scream *ok, KNOCK IT OFF Lord... I can't take any more lessons right now!*

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  4. Thanks, everyone! Spent all morning with my friend and his son. He may not look the same, but he's the same strong man I've known for over ten years now.

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  5. Bless your heart. That is a lot of bad to deal with. I'll keep you and those you know in my prayers.

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  6. You're a good friend. Remember, though, that it's perfectly okay for you to "take a break." Seeing and sharing too much pain can cause you to have pain, depression, etc. So while you're taking care of everyone else, don't forget to take care of you.

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