11.05.2007

Good-bye Sweet Friend


I went to a funeral today.


Years ago when we was jes' mere slips of a girl, too young to be hitched or hippin' babies while we shopped for vittles, Lizzy and me was solace fer each other. We traded ideas fer one more dried bean recipe, traded coupons and watched each other's baby when we had migraines.

We shared magazines and books and dreamed of the future. Our hurdles and potholes in life were made of the same stuff millions of others faced daily.

"Hers was an ordinary life," the priest said.

Ordinary?

We had ordinary lives wif' ordinary needs. Our ordinary troubles jabbed at hearts wif' extraordinary pain. Our ordinary delights seemed to us extraordinary joys.

Futures fold into form, like origami birds; our creases pressed us into different shapes and we flew along our appointed currents.

"You're looking well! Can it have been a year?" we laughed each time a chance breeze conjured up an encounter. "We must do better. How are your Thursdays?"

And down the decades we flew.

"I have this letter," the priest said. "It says more than I can about Lizzy, and her ordinary life."

It was my blessing to meet you, Lizzy. And I miss you so much already. Only two years, yet it seems you have always been in my life. When I could not endure another day of treatment, you comforted me. When difficult patients balked, your calm assurance turned stubbornness into cooperation. Somehow you brought laughter with every visit, an impish grin that disarmed us all. Your "chemo-cocktail" was an occasion of mirth and chatter. Somehow I believed life was worth living. Because of your struggle my life is worth living. I miss you. And I love you.


"This was written by the oncology nurse," said the priest. "you see, Lizzy led what many would describe as an ordinary life. Maybe she did. It's just as well. You can't impress God with dazzle. Lizzy lived an ordinary life......and she did it with extraordinary love."

8 comments:

Gnomeself Be True said...

I'm so sorry....

Bunny said...

I am so very sorry for your loss. Lizzy sounds like a great person. The world will feel her loss.

Thank you for sharing her story.

{{HUG FOR YOU}}

Jenny said...

Oh, I'm so sorry for the loss of your sweet friend.

What a lovely tribute to her spirit.

boneman said...

Hope someone thought t
put a spoon in her casket on the last seeings.
Figure if life is the main course, and you'de use a fork and knife fer that, then dying fer a good person is....
DESSERT TIME!
...and it sure sounded like that was a good person.

sparringK9 said...

dear aunty. im so sorry.

darkfoam said...

what a lovely tribute to the memory of a loving friend.

Infinitesimal said...

Sorry for the passing of your best friend, but just think about how happy she is now, and she is going to be there to hold your hand when it is your turn, you know that.

Bird said...

ah ab, thinking of you. and of lizzy.