The not-so-happy call

Spoke for about an hour last night with my friend from the Keys. One of his dear friends, Ted, is in the hospital in Miami, because the local facilities are not sophisticated enough to treat him. Ted had a mini-stroke because of tumors pressing upon his brain. My friend doesn't know if the tumors are malignant or benign but, since Ted just turned 75 and has other health problems, that point may be moot.

My friend wants to take off right away and go to Miami but he can't. He's very broke right now, underemployed by the local newspaper and because of the nature of the news business, his schedule changes and he doesn't work typical Mon-Fri/9-5 workweeks. So his schedule isn't always conducive and he can't afford unpaid time off.

I have been helping my friend in small ways -- $20 here, a Shell gift card there, and I paid for everything when I was visited him last month -- but that is all I can wisely afford to do until I know for certain how my mother's affairs will shake out. Plus I am not sure what impact the CDE situation will have on me at work and considering that I could find myself out of work at age 55 in a young person's profession, it just doesn't make sense for me to say, "Here's $500, go to Miami!" as much as I may wish to.

So I have to remember that there is also consolation and value in listening to and loving him when he calls, and praying that Ted's saga has a peaceful resolution.