First I learned that my friend Nancy's father died. She's very philosophical about it. He had been very ill for a long time and, Nancy said, "ready to go." She also readily admits that the loss hasn't sunken in yet. I told her I'm ready to be there for her -- whether she wanted to talk or just wanted to be distracted. I reminded her I've lost both my parents, so this is a path I've walked. She said she would remember to call on me. I'm going to send a note this week, reiterating this. Sometimes it's nice to hold a card.
Then my friend Henry called. In tears, and I've never heard him cry before. His friend Ted died this morning. Like Nancy's father, Ted had been in ill health for years. At these final stages, there were no facilities in Key West that could provide him the care he required and he's been in Miami since May. Henry spent last night in Miami and is simply exhausted after driving hour after hour to get back to home, only to learn that Ted died while he was on the road. Henry knows I liked Ted and wanted to talk. Henry's partner Reg never really got on with Ted, so I feel like I was important to him today.
I barely remembered that it was the Fourth of July! I'm going to watch Yankee Doodle Dandy in honor of the day.
Sorry for the losses.
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