Friendly Update

I sucked it up. I called my oldest friend Tuesday night. She kept posting pix of her son's wedding on Facebook and them IM'd one to me specifically. So I put my ambivalence behind me and called her. She loves her son's new wife. The wedding went well. Her life is about to change -- she has to move and is trying to decide between Los Angeles with her daughter or Austin with her son. To walk any distance, she needs a cane. Yet she sounds happy! And when she's happy, I laugh. And she was generous in listening about my problems. I must remember that when she can give, she does.

Speaking of canes ... I'm going to see John on Friday! We're both vaccinated,* we haven't been in the same room together since July (!), and so this is exciting. He gave me a heads up that he's using his cane again these days. Whereas my oldest friend is having trouble with her knee, John is suffering from a respiratory problem and the cane helps him move faster and more easily. I worry about his health and will feel better when I can see that he's OK.

And then there's Elaine. I know her from movie group. She messages me in the chat all the time. Sometimes she wants affirmation about her comments, usually she wants to say "hi" to Reynaldo, who enjoys crashing my Zoom get-togethers. Anyway, she's eager to meet in person. Her vet has recommended this particular brand of CBD for her senior cat and she wants to see how Rey responds to it. That's extraordinarily kind of her. I don't know why I'm surprised that she's drawn to me. I'm funny, I'm smart, I obviously lavish attention on my skinny old cat. All those are good things, right? Yet I am surprised. I met Joanna and Will through movie group, but that was in person. Elaine's entire exposure to me has been through a screen. I've never had a friendship that began this way.

*I'll be 72 hours away from the two-week mark, but I think Dr. Fauci will cut me slack if I remain masked most of the time.