I remember a fews ago. It was February and COVID, I believe, was just peaking its ugly head – but it hadn’t arrived in the United States yet. I got a phone call from Florida. It was my childhood best friend’s sister-in-law. My friend Gail had died suddenly after a quick onset battling with pneumonia. She was in the hospital around Christmas time, had come home, but got worse and went back into the hospital. She had pneumonia, blood clots in her lungs and with her COPD, there wasn’t much they could do – although they did try surgery. Gail didn’t make it through the surgery.
I was shocked. I hadn’t seen my childhood friend since 2013, when I visited her in Florida. I had no idea she was sick. I was upset and felt bad for her family. I wanted to go to the funeral – but taking a flight at this time was not popular due to COVID ramping up.
Did Gail Die of COVID?
This was my first thought, although COVID really wasn’t in the United States yet. Still, I wondered. And I still have doubts and I am highly suspect that she had COVID. I’m not really sure if or why it matters.
Losing a childhood best friend, my maid of honor, my compadre was difficult. We did so much together. We both the maid of honors in each other’s weddings, as well as the children’s god mothers. Our first born were born exactly 9 months apart, and our second born children were born only a month apart. It was like we grew up together and so did our children – at least until Gail moved 1500 miles away to Florida.
Mourning my Friend
I was so sad for my friend and sad for me that she was no longer here. I was sad too that I no longer had her to reminisce with. You know how it is you get together with a long lost friend and you talk about your glory days, your wonder years, and you laugh. But reality it’s kind of bittersweet, because you know that those days have passed you by.
Getting old sucks. There really is no other way to put it. In my opinion there are only two good things that come with aging. The first is that you really don’t care what people think and the second is that you don’t really feel influenced by peer pressure when you are old. Other then that – it sucks, and yet I guess it beats the alternative.
The Cycle or Circle of Life
I don’t understand how it happens so quickly. I mean when you are 15 years old, waiting to be 17 so you can drive, it seems like it takes 150 years until you turn 17. After that, everything just comes in a blur graduation,college,marriage,children,grandchildren,retirement. It’s the whirling fast moving cycle of life, and it’s good – not all the time, but it’s so good most of the time, that we don’t want it to end.
“Mom Mom, can I go out with Giana?” Sorry my 16 year old granddaugther interrupted my writing. She wants to go out with her friend who just got her license. GEEZ, I remember those days – with my friend Gail.
I have lost a grand parents, a father, a husband. Losing a best friend felt a little different – somewhat strange. Perhaps because the friend was my age? It made the inevitable shadow of death feel like it loomed oh so much closer to me – and it wasn’t supposed to. It was like for the first time, I recognized my own pending demise.
So yes, it really is irrelevant if Gail passed form COVID or natural causes. I lost my friend and it hurts and I miss her. Yet somehow I think I find it easier for me to blame the COVID monster for her death- because then I really have something to be angry at – COVID.
