Sudden Changes

Mom called today to let me know that Bambi is in the hospital and that she has cancer. Bambi has been mom's best friend for as long as I can remember-she was like a 2nd mom to me growing up. She's had a hard life-especially these last 5 or 6 years dealing with an alcoholic husband who can't work and having to earn enough money to pay their mortgage herself. She went into the hospital yesterday for a ruptured tumor in her colon. Mom didn't really have much information to tell me about the whole thing, but it made me realize something about my mother that I find myself doing as well. See, mom had no idea that this was going on and apparently Bambi has known that she has cancer for 3 or 4 months and never said anything to mom-who is supposed to be her best friend. Granted, that's how Bambi is, but I would hate to think that, if one of my friends got sick, I wouldn't find out until the next DAY like mom did!

It scares me so much to think that I would become so embroiled in my own every day life that I would come out of contact with any of my friends-so much so that their significant others and family wouldn't think to call me IMMEDIATELY to tell me that something had gone wrong! Here I will make a pact with myself that I will always make time and effort to be a part of my friends' lives-because having friends and being involved with them is what life is all about. This having been said, I am now going to take the step to be okay with moving 30 minutes from work if it means being 20 minutes closer to my friends; what is snowy drive taken slowly (or getting to work an hour later) compared to precious time spent with friends after work on a long day?

Here's to friendship and the importance of it in a life that can be overrun by "have tos" and "I'm tireds". And, to all those out there who don't think I need a phone call immediately...well, you are WRONG.