When I was diagnosed, I had a chat with Helen from the RNS Cancer support centre. Wonderful person, and has been very helpful. On of the things that she explained was how people deal with the news differently, and I will find, some people:
- will pull back and not talk to you at all, not know what to say,
- some good friends will become closer, will reach out, can't do enough,
- some old or absent friends will come back into your life, and want to help.
All of these reactions are ok, no right or wrong. The last one has been a fantastic positive out of this and one that I really treasure. I have reacquainted with quite a number of old and absents, and it's just fantastic, although, some of you are looking very, very old, seems like I have more hair than most of you. You guys know who you are, and it's incredibly enriching to catch up again, sometimes after years.
I was touched by the 2 guys that turned up at the hospital after operation and offered to get their rusty pliers out of the car to take the staples from my operation out (probably would have hurt less than the nurse). The one that turned up at the hospital day of my discharge, never once complained or said anything, continues to offer help. Old work colleagues and others bringing around coffees, cakes. I welcome you all back.
Whatever happens on the future, I am wrapped to have all of you in my life, old, absent, new, current. All good, good friends.
Tomorrow is always another day.
Trev.
Of course, Trev, I am assuming you're using the word "old" in the sense "from a long time ago" as opposed to "grey and wrinkled"?
ReplyDeleteMic, you can interpret any way that you want old man (oops, did I say that).
Delete