Sad News

Why is it that when you think you have all you can handle, life seems to throw something else your way? Realistically if I could answer this question I probably would be rich. The fact is there probably is no rhyme or reason to why things happen they just do.

I guess you can probably tell where I'm going with this. Life has been hard here lately. While I know I'll get through it the struggle is still difficult. I could really use a break.

Instead of that break, I got more bad news. Last Friday when I was taking my first load of horses home, I thought I saw a friend's car following me. The car turned onto my road behind me and then it followed me into my driveway. I knew instantly that something must be up.

As I got out of my truck to open our gates, I wondered what that could possibly be. By the time I walked back to my truck to drive into my yard, my friend's husband was coming towards. NOW I knew it was definitely NOT good. I braced myself for bad news.

Bad news is exactly what I got. My friend, my dear friend is dying. It is just a matter of time. She's been sick with emphysema for years and has been on oxygen but despite that she's done pretty well managing her disease. That is until November when one of her lungs collapsed.

It takes a minimum of three months for a collapsed lung to heal. Until that time the function of that lung is impaired. Having a disease that's already compromised her lung function, this collapse put more strain on her other organs as they struggled to function without adequate oxygen.

Last Monday, my friend had a heart attack. Her heart could not tolerate the additional work it required to get more blood flowing to compensate for the lack of oxygen being taken in by her lungs. The end result was massage damage to her heart.

The doctors did extensive tests and my friend's heart is toast. Only a miracle will save my friend. With both her lungs and her heart compromised it's just a matter of time.

The thought leaves me physically ill. I can't even imagine a world without this friend. She is one of the few if not only people in my life who has never betrayed me.........not in even the least little way. She has been there for me despite the vast differences in our beliefs. She has never expected me to conform to her beliefs as I have never expected her to conform to mine. We've been friends regardless of the chasm that separates us in those differences.

We have some basic things in common. We both love horses. We believe that friends are there for friends. We believe life is more precious than money. We are firm believers in loyalty.

But oh are we worlds apart on other things. She is extremely prejudiced against some races as well as sexual persuasions. I am not. She is very black and white. I gave that up many years ago. She is a fanatical church goer and along with that goes some pretty extreme religious beliefs. And of course, not me. Politically we're on the opposite sides of the fence as well.

We are a strange pair to say the least. We don't see each other often. But we always know the other is there. A person that can be counted on in this day and age is a rare thing, I think. I am not really to give her up.