I lost a friend today. He was 56 years old. He retired at 55 but consulted some of the time just to keep busy. When his wife left for work this morning, he told her he was going to get in his chair to read the paper and finish his coffee. When she returned this evening, that's where she found him, sitting in his chair, paper in his lap with his coffee still sitting beside him.
He was a good man ... kind, sympathetic, compassionate, took care of his family, a good friend. He lived a good life, worked hard and was enjoying his semi-retirement.
I'm having a hard time rationalizing this. On one hand there is me who's had a bitchin' life. I've traveled all over, partied on 5 continents, done and seen things that we won't go into here and I'm still around and likely to be for some time to come (according to my doctor) and then there's my friend who led a good, steady, responsible life and left it when he should have been beginning to enjoy the fruits of his life's labors. It just doesn't seem right or fair.
What makes it worse is that this is is the second friend that I've lost in recent years in the exact same manner. Now, I don't mean to seem selfish but I have dozens and dozens of acquaintances but few really good, lifelong friends. I can't afford to lose any more. Somehow, I feel the sorrow but also I have a strange feeling of guilt. I don't know why. I'm feel sure that he wouldn't want it.
I don't even know why I'm writing this. I don't want or need sympathy, his wife and family needs that, but I just felt that, by writing it down, it may help me to handle the loss of a friend who will leave a hole in my life.
We're leaving for Dallas tomorrow to give any help we can to the family. They sounded totally distraught when we talked to them tonight.
So, hold your friends dear and keep them close, appreciate and love them every single day because you never know when they will be wrenched away from you. That goes for you personally also. You never know when the hammer is going to fall. Enjoy it while you've still got it.
He was a good man ... kind, sympathetic, compassionate, took care of his family, a good friend. He lived a good life, worked hard and was enjoying his semi-retirement.
I'm having a hard time rationalizing this. On one hand there is me who's had a bitchin' life. I've traveled all over, partied on 5 continents, done and seen things that we won't go into here and I'm still around and likely to be for some time to come (according to my doctor) and then there's my friend who led a good, steady, responsible life and left it when he should have been beginning to enjoy the fruits of his life's labors. It just doesn't seem right or fair.
What makes it worse is that this is is the second friend that I've lost in recent years in the exact same manner. Now, I don't mean to seem selfish but I have dozens and dozens of acquaintances but few really good, lifelong friends. I can't afford to lose any more. Somehow, I feel the sorrow but also I have a strange feeling of guilt. I don't know why. I'm feel sure that he wouldn't want it.
I don't even know why I'm writing this. I don't want or need sympathy, his wife and family needs that, but I just felt that, by writing it down, it may help me to handle the loss of a friend who will leave a hole in my life.
We're leaving for Dallas tomorrow to give any help we can to the family. They sounded totally distraught when we talked to them tonight.
So, hold your friends dear and keep them close, appreciate and love them every single day because you never know when they will be wrenched away from you. That goes for you personally also. You never know when the hammer is going to fall. Enjoy it while you've still got it.