One Life...
We only get one shot at life. We make friends, some casual, some good, some falling into the best category. We do our best for our friends and treat them as family.
I am feeling a bit numb at the moment. One of my best friends phoned me on Friday to tell me some very bad news. He has cancer. It is inoperable. The best he can hope for with medical intervention is to prolong his life by I don't know how long. Without the intervention, he possibly won't see this Christmas.
We spoke about it, and his view is that if the medical intervention will give him an extra 6 months of quality life, then he will take it. If it will mean six months of pain, humiliation and being confined to a hospital bed, he has decided not to bother. I agree with him completely. A selfish side of me wanted him to do whatever it takes to stay on this earth for as long as possible, but the compassionate side of me that cares so much about him says that I would rather he didn't have to suffer a prolonged life that had no quality to it.
He has been my friend for 9 years now, and it is difficult for me to contemplate that it will not be ten, then eleven and so on. I am trying to come to terms with the fact that in a while I will never be able to phone him up for a chat. I won't be able to hug him and be hugged back by him. I will never hear him calling me "Mother" again after he is gone.
Time now is precious. I won't treat him any differently because of his illness, but I will be offering to do whatever I can to help. If he had any other problems, I would be doing the same.
I can't even begin to contemplate how he must be feeling, knowing what is coming. I will just be there for him as his friend. It is all I can really do, and I will do it with a willingness because he is a wonderful person whose friendship I value.
We take so much for granted. So many times we don't know what we have until it is gone. My friend is someone I value, and I hope he knows it. I know what I have in his friendship, and I will miss him like hell when he is no longer around. In the meantime, I will be making the most of the time left to us.
If he lasts another four years, I will still count each day as a blessing. He currently has four months. Every day is precious. We have one life. We must live it and help others to live theirs too. We must be there for our friends and weather whatever life may throw at us.
One life. Live it.
I am feeling a bit numb at the moment. One of my best friends phoned me on Friday to tell me some very bad news. He has cancer. It is inoperable. The best he can hope for with medical intervention is to prolong his life by I don't know how long. Without the intervention, he possibly won't see this Christmas.
We spoke about it, and his view is that if the medical intervention will give him an extra 6 months of quality life, then he will take it. If it will mean six months of pain, humiliation and being confined to a hospital bed, he has decided not to bother. I agree with him completely. A selfish side of me wanted him to do whatever it takes to stay on this earth for as long as possible, but the compassionate side of me that cares so much about him says that I would rather he didn't have to suffer a prolonged life that had no quality to it.
He has been my friend for 9 years now, and it is difficult for me to contemplate that it will not be ten, then eleven and so on. I am trying to come to terms with the fact that in a while I will never be able to phone him up for a chat. I won't be able to hug him and be hugged back by him. I will never hear him calling me "Mother" again after he is gone.
Time now is precious. I won't treat him any differently because of his illness, but I will be offering to do whatever I can to help. If he had any other problems, I would be doing the same.
I can't even begin to contemplate how he must be feeling, knowing what is coming. I will just be there for him as his friend. It is all I can really do, and I will do it with a willingness because he is a wonderful person whose friendship I value.
We take so much for granted. So many times we don't know what we have until it is gone. My friend is someone I value, and I hope he knows it. I know what I have in his friendship, and I will miss him like hell when he is no longer around. In the meantime, I will be making the most of the time left to us.
If he lasts another four years, I will still count each day as a blessing. He currently has four months. Every day is precious. We have one life. We must live it and help others to live theirs too. We must be there for our friends and weather whatever life may throw at us.
One life. Live it.
posted by Me at 11:08 am
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