Dinner's View

Rather late this afternoon we received a phone call from Dave, a friend in distress.

Dave & Laura were in the same year of school as I was. So we've know each other for a long time. Over the years we've all gone to the same churches and that has helped us to stay in touch. We were at the wedding for their son and the one for their daughter. We were also at the funeral when their daughter's baby died after only living for a month. We've shared some good times and some horribly bad times.

Recently Dave & Laura have moved out of their home here in our city so that their daughter & son-in-law could live there because both of these kids lost their jobs during this recession (he was in mortgage banking and she was a school teacher). Dave & Laura have rented an apartment at Newport Beach overlooking the channel and Balboa Island. We were green with envy, of course, when we learned they had made that move. They say it is just for a year or so until the kids get on their feet and then they'll be back.

This afternoon Dave phoned to left us know that Laura was with her 93-year-old mom in the hospital in Riverside, the city east of us. Laura is dealing with the reality that her mom is going to be exiting earth soon. Since Dave had not made the trip to Riverside with Laura, he was wondering if we'd go and spend a few moments with Laura.

I remember how lonely it was when my parents died. All of my friends cared, but they had lives to live and kids to raise and jobs to be at, and well, it was just lonely as we spent many hours traveling to see my dying mom and then repeated the experience several years later when my dad was dying. So we understood the distress. Moments after receiving Dave's call we were in the car traveling toward Riverside.

Laura found comfort in the company. When we left the hospital to head back home, we decided to take the moment away from the house and turn the sadness into a sacred moment of "together time" as we were alone with each other. So we transformed the evening into a date and celebrated life as our dear friend stands at the door of death with her elderly mom.

I hope that makes sense. It was a moment to cherish each other and to reflect on the friendship we've had with Dave & Laura for all of these years.

So there was not much blip-worthy-ness about this day except for a glimpse of the row of chairs at the restaurant, The Yard House, where we enjoyed a delicious dinner and savored a moment with each other that we'll treasure for the rest of our lives because again today we were touched by the delicate, fragile, briefness of life.

Losing my mom to death was possibly the hardest experience of my life, so I am hurting for my friend Laura. I'm just glad that Dave phoned today to let us know that Laura needed friends. I need a friend often, but seldom do I ever tell anyone. I wonder if anyone relates to that.

Good night from Southern California.
Rosie (& Mr. Fun), aka Carol

P.S. Today marks 4-months without Bob dog. We'll miss him for the rest of our lives which we think is a sign of how very much we enjoyed him.