Wishes for 2009

This year ends with bad news about two people I've known for years.

My dear friend's husband is having surgery tomorrow to deal with his prostate cancer. And, my next door neighbor will begin chemotherapy for her pancreatic cancer when she returns from their annual holiday ski trip. Right now, I'm reeling from this news about people so close to me -- and so young, and my hearts and thoughts are with them as they proceed on their journey to recovery.

Friday I spent some quality time with two of my women friends. We had lunch and walked along the beach in Santa Monica remarking about the absolute beauty of our surroundings and being thankful we lived in the mild Southern California climate. Even Catalina was out that afternoon. Sure we had a little wind and I had to borrow a pair of gloves. But, it certainly wasn't so cold that we could see our breath.

During our lunch conversation, one of the women asked what we wished for in the new year. I wished for more rest and no deaths. Those are definitely the things that mean the most right now. I’m forever tired. And I’m tired of the losses in my life.

In just three days it will be Paul’s 37th birthday. And, I’ll have to celebrate it at the cemetery again this year – the 10th of his birthdays I’ve spent there with him. So, no more deaths. Only happy occasions. And stop with the bad news already too. I’ll take the tiredness any day over sickness and death.