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I just wrote a difficult note.
Not difficult because of anything I've done, or not done. It's an "I'm thinking of you" to a friend who is most likely dying. We aren't and never were incredibly close--that would be a different kind of difficult. But after I posted a cheerful/encouraging message on the Web site her friends are maintaining to keep people informed of how she's doing, I got email from one of her sisters, urging me to get in touch with her soon, while I can.
It's hard to know what to say, when what you want to say is "I miss you, and I'm sorry there won't be a chance for us to catch up and get to know each other better." I did my best--I said I'm thinking of her, and a bit about seeing her at Orycons, and her fine nephew. I used a pretty card, and added stickers to the envelope, to maybe supplement the words I'd had trouble finding.
That'll go out with tomorrow's mail pickup, and I hope it will make its way west in time for my friend to read it, and maybe be lifted a bit thereby. If modern medical science can't do much more for her, neither can I, not from this distance: but words and affection are not empty.
Not difficult because of anything I've done, or not done. It's an "I'm thinking of you" to a friend who is most likely dying. We aren't and never were incredibly close--that would be a different kind of difficult. But after I posted a cheerful/encouraging message on the Web site her friends are maintaining to keep people informed of how she's doing, I got email from one of her sisters, urging me to get in touch with her soon, while I can.
It's hard to know what to say, when what you want to say is "I miss you, and I'm sorry there won't be a chance for us to catch up and get to know each other better." I did my best--I said I'm thinking of her, and a bit about seeing her at Orycons, and her fine nephew. I used a pretty card, and added stickers to the envelope, to maybe supplement the words I'd had trouble finding.
That'll go out with tomorrow's mail pickup, and I hope it will make its way west in time for my friend to read it, and maybe be lifted a bit thereby. If modern medical science can't do much more for her, neither can I, not from this distance: but words and affection are not empty.