Months later, in Florida, and now saying again,where has the time gone? Suddenly that happy-to-be retired and having fun experience is morphing into something else. Friends are getting sick or dying. Many, not just the random friend here or there. Many are dying. The most recent was a former neighbor who had been ill for several years. We had not seen him in maybe three years. He and his wife had been part of our children's growing up and sports experiences, particularly the two oldest. Our son went to the funeral (to represent the family) and said it was really heartwarming to see so many people he hadn't seen for years.
We lose touch - and then a person is gone. An old college roommate who married a man we went to school with was a long time neighbor until they moved to California. He developed glioblastoma in early 2017 and was dead in a matter of months. I wrote and invited her to visit in Florida if she needed a change of scenery. She is taking me up on it and said everything has been so hard and yet at the same time she has been incredibly busy re-titling the house, etc. Bluntly, she said, "I still can't believe he is dead. I see his clothes and say, I'd better get these to the cleaners so he will have them when he is out of the hospital". I said, I can't believe he is dead, either. When you have not seen someone for awhile, it is easy to think they are still "out there".
In speaking with other friends, I'll say something like, oh I'm so sorry' and one or two have said, well, we are at that age....so, there comes a time. Now I just hope I don't have my dog out live me since she is a "special needs' dog.
