everything is easier with friends

[myveryown_nemesis]

 I went to my AA meeting this morning in person, and I'm glad I made that decision. The reading wasn't particularly resonant for me, but the sidetrack it sent me on was deeply touching. In the reading, a woman who had nearly destroyed her body with alcohol was lucky enough to get a liver transplant in time to save her life. This made me think of my friend Gina, who has been on my mind quite a bit lately.

 

Gina died of liver disease. To my knowledge, she was never a heavy drinker; catastrophic health issues can happen to anyone.

 

Gina passed away in June 2015 on a Wednesday. My father passed away that same week on Friday, but I didn't learn about it until Saturday morning. My sisters waited a day to tell me, as my daughter graduated from high school on Friday night, and they wanted me to have those sweet memories before sharing the news. I'm glad that they did that.

 

The last time I spoke with Gina was on Monday of that week. She was in the hospital and knew she didn't have much time left. She was calling all of her friends for one last word. One of the things she said to me was that we were fools for never meeting face-to-face (our friendship started in the early 2000s in a forum), and the other was that I should remember that everything is easier when you do it with friends.

 

Gina is right. Everything is easier with friends.

 

Thank you, friends, for being here.