Comings and Goings

Life is fast. Most often, it doesn't feel like it. That is until you are confronted with death. No matter how long I am on this earth, I can never understand it.

Cindy and I were going along with our Christmas just fine and then came the phone call. A good friend of ours, Julie(yep she's a Julie), was in the hospital in Texas after collapsing from a brain anneurism and was on life support. She's now gone and luckily she probably didn't know what hit her. It baffles me.

I met Julie after I moved in with Cindy. Julie happened to be Cindy's ex gf's sister, who was also gay. She was a wild one and always gave Cindy a hard time, teasing her, and Cindy could never think of a comeback line fast enough. In past blogging sessions, I have explained how Cindy and her ex are close friends and sometimes that baffles me too. I am sure when Julie met me, she wanted to test me out to make sure I was worthy of being in this PACK. So I spent the time and found opportunities to get her with comeback lines and witty things...with a little attitude. Cindy's ex, T(I shall call her), laughed and told me, "no one's ever talked to my sister like that. You'll do just fine!" So I shared a bond with Julie right away. She told me of her escapades and I know one day I will write them in a book. It's really a tale of 3 sisters and the horrible things they lived through. I had to laugh when Julie talked to me about her affair with a girl...she said, "What am I supposed to do? She shows up on my doorstep in the rain? I just HAD to let her come in!" It's those memories I think of now. Thank God I have them. Julie was around 50 years old.

People enter our life and we never know the impact they will have. Then in what seems like a summer breeze, they are gone. I saw Julie last summer. She brought her much younger girlfriend with her and we just had to laugh. I have her on video and I am sure I will watch and listen and laugh and cry.

It's another lesson in life. Make each day count because we never know what's in store for us. Pretty soon, you are out of time. I know I am grateful for Julie's time here and that I had a chance to know her.