Life Is A Stage

It is not an easy subject, our own mortality.  


Those who know me, know I have a best friend who lives back in Jersey.  We have been friends since we were in the 6th grade.  We have lived in each others's lives for almost as long as we can remember.  Neither of us were blessed with sisters, which God rectified by giving us each other.  


We have walked a long path together.  Teenage trials and tribulations, growing in to womanhood, finding our soul mates, finding ourselves, marriages, the birth of children, separations, divorces, the death of her parents, the death of my dad, my scare with cancer, my moving away, and then moving away again.


Although  our boys are 6 years apart, they are friends.  They are both exceptional needs, so both the boys and she & I have followed similar paths.


We can not talk for months and pick right back up where we left off, it is what sisters do.  So when my cell phone rang tonight and I saw it was her, it was no surprise.  


Last we had talked, she was going for another series of test.  She has been battling something unknown for the better part of 3 years now.  It started as annoyances, grew to agitation, and now finally doctors are paying attention.  


It may be too late.


We won't know more until after the next series of tests this Friday, and then the inevitable nail-biting week long wait until results are determined.  What is for sure is it is incurable.  What is not known is the stage.  


Stage is a funny word.  It has so many meanings.  Stage is a place where the spotlight is lit and mere mortals can transport you to far off worlds.  Take you back in time, tell you a story for a little while, and then leave you feeling better than before they started.


If only stage meant that now.  Now, it is a means to determine the end of mortality.  


She is by no means taking this lightly, nor is she resolved that it is the end.

Her parting words before hanging up were, "What are you sad for?  I'm not going anywhere, I've got kids to live for.  'm going to fight this and if it means getting a transplant, then that is what I will do."


I love my sister.