This is a hard blog to write. My best friend, Jan, died. In March, we met at the park for a visit. Hugging, I was shocked at how frail Jan felt. Weak, she slowly walked a few feet to the picnic table.
We sat and she chatted with Ken about the Iowa/Nebraska women’s
championship basketball game. Jan was excited about Iowa playing.
When Ken went for a walk, Jan said, “My heart is failing.”
With those words, I knew that this was the last time we would meet. How do you talk about facing death? I listened. Finally, Jan said, “I want to get Dave settled in our new place and then I’ll be ready to go.” Oh, my friend, you are considerate to the end.
Jan switched topics, talking about her family and asking about mine. I followed her lead. As usual, Jan gave me gifts that she knitted.
When we hugged goodbye, Jan held onto me fiercely and sobbed into my
shoulder. Then this brave, worn woman pulled back and managed to give us a smile.
By May, Jan was gone. My heart grieves, but I know she is at peace. I love you, Jan.
Leave a Reply