Want to be There

We all have people in our lives who we see only periodically but would like to see more often. However, life is busy with alot of stuff, and the time to socialize is limited. Everyone is going in different directions.

My mother has some friends in her life that she has known since she was a child.  These friends of hers became like family to my siblings and I. We spent time with them growing up, and they always came to our and now our children’s life cycle events.  My niece’s bat mitzvah is coming up and so that means my mom and her crew will have a chance to get together. Well, unfortunately not. During a recent conversation, my mom listed the ailments that her friends are experiencing. “It makes me feel old and sad. I know we all get older but to not be able to do the things you used to be able to do is hard. You know.”  I said, “Sort of.”   I had little to add to the conversation and hung up soon thereafter while feeling sad myself.

Last weekend, my mother called to tell me of the passing of ‘Uncle Jimmy.’ His wife and my mother had been friends for over 60 years. He was a good man who always seemed happy to see you. He made a person feel that what they had to say was interesting, and he wanted to hear it.  It was always a treat to see him and his wife. So, when I heard the news about his passing, I wanted to attend the funeral to pay my respects and moreso to let his family know how much I respected, enjoyed, and admired their husband/father. However, I could not go as I’ve missed quite a few days of work recently.

I’ll make the call, be sympathetic, express condolences, and try to convey my feelings. I am sure they will appreciate the call and say it is okay, but it doesn’t feel like enough to me. I want to share this loss and grieve with them. Actually, what I really want is to see my mom and her crew at my niece’s bat mitzvah.

2 thoughts on “Want to be There

  1. Larry

    Im sorry about Uncle Jimmy. Yeah, sometimes whatching people get older really sucks. I seee my dad who used to be a camp director and play tennis who now cannot even stand, but I Thank G-d that I can still see him. Ill see you this Shabbat. Unless we will be having to much fun honeymooning (Both kids are away). Im sure Ill see you this Shabbat.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *