One Good Thing

Well, Dear Readers,  there is one good thing that comes out of going through severe trials in your life.  And that's finding out who is real.

I had a friend call me today on the way home from a very long day at work and ask me if she could kidnap me and feed me chocolate.  She offered this, even though we were going to go out and have lunch the next day.  That is real.

My mother took my older children to get haircuts and then bought us all dinner.  That's real.

Another friend asked me how I was and wouldn't accept the answer when I said, "I'm fine".  They also wouldn't let me turn the conversation around to something else before they had every detail of what I was feeling.  Real.

I have had numerous texts, hugs, offers of support, sympathy, empathy, encouragement, prayers, our names put on a temple prayer roll at two different temples, and it just doesn't get any realer than that.

And then there's people who just aren't...real.  You thought they would say something.  Or ask if you were okay.  Or that they would feel the same kind of sadness and grief you were feeling.  Surprise.

I think that sometimes, people don't know what to say in this situation.  It's not a situation that really comes up in society that often.  If someone had died, you could send flowers, or a sympathy card, or make some damn funeral potatoes.  If someone was physically ill, you would send soup, or say, I hope you get better.  If a dog died, you would cry with the person, because people show emotion more readily where an animal is concerned than a human.  Perhaps you would even do like a friend did with my mom and put a puppy in her backyard.  (Note:  This is not a hint.  I do not want a puppy. I have four dogs.)

So, here is what I'm thankful for, because heaven knows that I will take whatever little gift can be found in this situation:  I'm thankful to know who would actually stick by my side when my house in burning down instead of whistling Dixie and picking their nose. 

And that's the one good thing, besides the help that my son is getting.