Today, Dec. 17
Thursday, December 17, 2020
Today is not about my walking streak. I haven't walked yet today but I will at some point. Right now I am feeling sad. This morning my dear friend, Carol, died. I knew the day was coming but I didn't expect it this soon.
One recent Sunday afternoon (I think it was late October) when I was almost home from my walk, I got a phone call. When she heard that I was walking, she asked me to call her back when I got home. I could tell it was something serious and feared it might be something with her grandchildren or husband. It was about 5 minutes later when I returned her call to hear her tell me that she had lung and brain cancer. (She wanted me to be sitting down which is why she didn't tell me when I was walking.) She was diabetic and had been losing weight. We thought the weight loss might be because she was using a new (to her) medication but
she was having tests. She had just received the results. She was quite upbeat. She had told her family and was looking forward to seeing her brother at Christmas.
Carol and I met by chance a few years ago. I have been trying to remember exactly when it was. There was an ad in our local paper about a weight-loss event. Anything to do with weight loss always catches my attention. I signed up. It was at Carol's home and she was the one giving the talk. She shared many of the suggestions we read about here on Spark People. She was selling a product but not pushing it. I think there about 6 women and we met at Carol's every week for about 6 weeks. She would weigh us and then share more ideas as we sat around her dining room table. Somehow we just connected. When the talks ended, she and I discovered we both like to garden and I helped her plant petunias. We started to go to a Bible study together. She was usually the driver. We started to go for lunch at different restaurants almost every week. It was always Carol who initiated our plans.
At lunch we would unload. We both live with retired men who sometimes get on our nerves. Both husbands went through health difficulties about the same time and we would wonder what we would do if something were to happen to them. Her husband is a bit of a hermit; she did everything like take their vehicle in for service. We would always end by saying that we love them in spite of their quirks.
Her daughter and her son are both married. Her daughter lives nearby and took her mother to all her cancer appointments. The son has Carol's two grandchildren, a girl and a boy. The little girl was mad at Carol when she was told what was going to happen. Fortunately, she got over that.
Just two weeks ago today, Carol's daughter called to ask if I could accompany Carol in the medical van to go to the hospital to have a picc line put in. Mary had to work. I am so glad she called me. Carol was good that day and we had a nice chat. It is the last time I saw her. I dropped some things off at her home last week but Mary met me on the verandah and said Carol wasn't up to seeing anyone.
I know I will miss Carol. Rest in peace, dear friend.
One recent Sunday afternoon (I think it was late October) when I was almost home from my walk, I got a phone call. When she heard that I was walking, she asked me to call her back when I got home. I could tell it was something serious and feared it might be something with her grandchildren or husband. It was about 5 minutes later when I returned her call to hear her tell me that she had lung and brain cancer. (She wanted me to be sitting down which is why she didn't tell me when I was walking.) She was diabetic and had been losing weight. We thought the weight loss might be because she was using a new (to her) medication but
she was having tests. She had just received the results. She was quite upbeat. She had told her family and was looking forward to seeing her brother at Christmas.
Carol and I met by chance a few years ago. I have been trying to remember exactly when it was. There was an ad in our local paper about a weight-loss event. Anything to do with weight loss always catches my attention. I signed up. It was at Carol's home and she was the one giving the talk. She shared many of the suggestions we read about here on Spark People. She was selling a product but not pushing it. I think there about 6 women and we met at Carol's every week for about 6 weeks. She would weigh us and then share more ideas as we sat around her dining room table. Somehow we just connected. When the talks ended, she and I discovered we both like to garden and I helped her plant petunias. We started to go to a Bible study together. She was usually the driver. We started to go for lunch at different restaurants almost every week. It was always Carol who initiated our plans.
At lunch we would unload. We both live with retired men who sometimes get on our nerves. Both husbands went through health difficulties about the same time and we would wonder what we would do if something were to happen to them. Her husband is a bit of a hermit; she did everything like take their vehicle in for service. We would always end by saying that we love them in spite of their quirks.
Her daughter and her son are both married. Her daughter lives nearby and took her mother to all her cancer appointments. The son has Carol's two grandchildren, a girl and a boy. The little girl was mad at Carol when she was told what was going to happen. Fortunately, she got over that.
Just two weeks ago today, Carol's daughter called to ask if I could accompany Carol in the medical van to go to the hospital to have a picc line put in. Mary had to work. I am so glad she called me. Carol was good that day and we had a nice chat. It is the last time I saw her. I dropped some things off at her home last week but Mary met me on the verandah and said Carol wasn't up to seeing anyone.
I know I will miss Carol. Rest in peace, dear friend.
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