That’s what friends are for
A month ago, when my friends Dan and Diane asked if I would be willing to take care of “my brother” for an overnight stay, I eagerly gave them the “You betcha!”
Charlie, “my brother”, is a cute little Westie, whose brown eyes are simply too adorable to say “no” to.
He’s been a visitor in my home a number of times over the years, and then tags along with me to the office if my friends happen to be out of town during the work week. That was case this past Sunday.
They delivered Charlie to my home mid-Sunday morning with plans to pick him up about midday on Monday. We spent Sunday baking cupcakes for the church pie and ice cream social later that day, doing laundry, enjoying Sunday’s cream of the crop weather on the patio, watching TV and taking short strolls for “my brother” to do what dogs do outside.
Early Monday morning, my phone rang. It was my friend, Diane, and the first words she blurted out were, “Dan had a heart attack last night.”
My heart sank. I could hear the fear in her trembling voice. I wished I was there to help her through this scary time, through the long hours of waiting for test results and what’s to come next. But I wasn’t. I was here, caring for Charlie, who of course, didn’t have an inkling of what had unfolded hours away from here.
Throughout Monday, Diane kept us updated through group texts. We were alerted as he was wheeled in for an angioplasty, all of us praying for the best scenario in what was surely an excruciatingly difficult time. The news, however, wasn’t what we’d all been praying for: stents. Instead, my friend Dan will undergo triple bypass surgery, most likely later this week.
And while this news may sound “gloom and doom”, it’s actually quite positive. Had it not been for the quick action of two ER nurses who happened to be within close proximity when he collapsed on Sunday evening, there would be no need for surgery. Instead, I may have been helping my friend make different plans.
But that’s what friends – and family – are for. We’re here to help in these times of need, in times of hurt and sadness. And we’re here to celebrate the good things in life, like birthdays and anniversaries and holidays. And that’s what friends are for, that, and taking in a cute little dog with brown eyes that;s impossible to say no to, especially when you’re eating dinner.
In the meantime, I’ll continue to pray for my friends and that Dan will come out of this with a stronger and healthier heart so they can once again get away for a night or two, and ask Charlie’s “sister” if she’s up for an overnight visitor.
Please join us for the celebration
We’re planning a party next week at the Brandon Valley Journal office in recognition of the start of our sixth year of publication. We’d like to invite you to stop by our office for birthday cake, subscription deals and to register for some cool door prizes. It’s one of favorite weeks of the year, and we hope it’s one of yours, too.
It’s been a sheer joy to be the local news source for Brandon, Valley Springs and the surrounding area, and we look forward to the next year of bringing you the headlines that are all about you!
