Today's the day I said good-by to my friend Ellen, who is flying to New Hampshire tomorrow to live in an assisted living facility near her brother. She has early dementia and can't live alone anymore.
How to say good-by to someone you probably won't see again? Someone you care so much about, so enjoyed, shared so many jokes with, that you felt compelled to help her pack up her life and move on to the next sad stage?
Our mutual friend Anne, who joined me in packing and sorting on many winter Saturdays, came with me to say good-by. Here we are in a picture that Ellen's brother took of us:
 |
| Me, Ellen, and Anne this morning, just before we said good-by. |
We said good-by in Ellen's bedroom upstairs, where we'd spent a lot of time sorting clothes and jewelry.
At the end, Anne took Ellen's hand and said simply, "We love you."
And that's the truth.
No comments:
Post a Comment