Fun Monday #26 - A Friendship Ends on This Earth

When Peter (aka Willowtree), todays Fun Monday host, asked ""Tell us about your best friend. Particularly things like: where you first met, how long you've been friends and why you think you are best friends," I began writing about my life long friend.

Unfortunately, events that were expected, but not with such haste, prompted me to do an immediate rewrite.

Our Aunt Pat died yesterday. This post is dedicated to her and her Best Friend, Anne. Thanks in advance for reading. No comments necessary.

(Please do visit Peter and the other participants.)

***************


Photo taken of Pat and Anne this spring.

Aunt Pat was a strong and intelligent woman. She was a feminist long before the word was in the dictionary. She never married. I know she had offers. She was brilliant and somewhat intimidating. (She helped develop a small portable kidney dialysis machine in the early sixties.)

When she was in her early 50’s, she met Anne on an overseas guided tour. The two hit it off.

A widow, Anne was a mother and a grandmother with a lifestyle much different. Intelligence, spunk, and delight in the world around them drew them together. They became fast friends.

For over 25 years, they met each week for dinner. They vacationed together. The two could talk for hours, and did.

Pat’s body grew weary several years ago. In our concern, we asked her to move the 250 miles to our hometown so that she would be close to family.

“I’ll think about it,” was her response. I doubt she thought about it once. The reality was that Anne was her family.

On one occasion we were talking and Pat said, “If either Anne or I had been born a man we would have been married.”

She and I laughed about the remark, but I knew she was serious. Pat loved her friend deeply.

The past five years Anne transported Pat to each medical appointment. That is only one of many items on a long list of “Anne dids.”

Each time we would call and check in, Pat informed us that Anne was taking care of ‘things.’

For the past year, Anne has been our source for keeping track of Aunt Pat. Anne’s report last week prompted the hubby to visit Pat on the weekend. They spent several hours of quality time.

Yesterday, July 22, 2007, Aunt Pat died with Anne at her side. Anne will plan the service - one last thing for her best friend.

Today if you asked me about friendship, I would describe it for you in one word: Anne.

Good-bye to a Grand Grand Lady. Thank you, Anne, for loving her.