THE MOMENT I KNEW that I had made one of the best decisions
of my life was when my story, “How Detachment Changes Everything”, appeared in
print among twenty-nine published and first-time women authors. I was humbled
to have my work included with tales that have expressed personal revelations about
reflections on love, relationships, pregnancy and children, family and lessons
learned, family influence, faith and culture, loss, self-discovery, and on life
and the human condition.
On Thursday, September 22, 2011, two extraordinary things
were laid in my hands. A dear friend took mine in hers and told me that she had
been diagnosed with a dramatic heart condition and the specialist told her that
she had five years to live. Our eyes searched each other’s souls to find a place
where we could console our hurt. I said I was sorry to hear about her
heartbreaking condition and she told me that she was sorry to have had to tell
me about it. Shock set in. I led my friend to a comfortable chair and asked
her to tell me all about her condition. She spoke in her normal tone as though
she had prepared herself for her story’s release. I nodded slowly at first and
then felt my body rocking back and forth as though her message was more than my
brain could handle. I smiled at her to reassure her that it would be all right.
But it was false hope, because I have no say in her length of stay in our
material world.
Our concentration was interrupted by our husbands’ voices as
they returned through the apartment door from having toured the building.
Frank, my husband, was caring a sealed package and handed it me. I looked over
at my quiet friend and said, “This is my book. My essay is in this book.”
I reached over and touched her hand and she understood that
I wanted her permission to open it, to end our heart-condition conversation.
She nodded and I acted immediately.
I laughed and whimpered a bit at the same time. I was
thrilled with excitement at seeing my essay on page sixty-three, but at the
same time felt restrained by the depth of sorrow I saw in my sweet friend’s
eyes.
The interruption was the excuse our friends needed to set in
motion their leaving for home. We hugged each other and said, “I love you.”
After I watched their car drive away I sat and read the book, The Moment I
Knew – Reflections From Women on Life’s Defining Moments.
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| Susan writes for the love of it. |
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