A 2 a.m. friend

     Recently I received a phone call from a lifelong friend of mine. I consider her one of my 2 a.m. friends. You know the ones that you don’t talk to on a daily basis. Sometimes months can go by as we get busy with work, kids and life in general.  A 2 a.m. friend is the one that you know that no matter what happens you can call them anytime if you need them, hence the  2 a.m. 

     So when I answered the phone and I heard her voice I knew something was up. She has never smoked and was having a bout of coughing that was lingering too long. She had gone to the Dr and they found a spot on her lung. She was waiting for biopsy results. I hate that they make people wait days before they can tell you the results. So I knew exactly where she was mentally. Pretty much a train wreck and scared to death and trying not to show it.

     I could hear the fear in her voice and it broke my heart. I knew I had to be direct and get her to focus on what

she could control. I told her even if its as little as organizing a closet it is busy work that you feel like you can control. She said she called me because I was so “strong” when I went through it. That cracks me up when people say that to me. I didn’t feel strong, I felt angry, devastated and overwhelmed. The only thing that got me through it was finding my focus.

     My family was my focus and I saw what this was doing to them. I had a son starting college, one at war, and a husband that was trying to be strong for all of us. Every test, scan and treatment I had them in my thoughts..that’s where I got my strength.

     After we talked for awhile I was so glad to hear some of the stress leaving her voice. She said she was glad she called me and I was so glad she did. After I hung up I realized that perhaps my going through this was to help other people. If I hadn’t had cancer/leukemia I would not have been able to calm her down. I don’t know what I would have said to her. So, if I had to go through all that to be a voice of hope I am ok with that. I feel blessed to know she could reach out to me when she was at such a low point. I consider it an honor to be a 2 a.m. friend.  

     I hope we all find hope and strength when we need it. And we need to count our blessings every day.

Be well, til next time.

    Sally