Tag Archives: Friendship

HARMONY, FRIENDSHIP, AND COMFORT, PART 2

Posted on May 5, 2010 by Judy

During the time I was in high school, I was looking for a best friend. My experience of being hurt by Elena was the beginning of a very slow process. The realization that it wasn’t something that was realistic didn’t come to me until far later in my life. While I was in the choir, I learned the joy of becoming part of a larger circle of friends. Continue reading →

HARMONY, FRIENDSHIP, AND COMFORT, PART 1

Posted on May 5, 2010 by Judy

I am sharing correspondence between my high school choir teacher, Frankie Nobert. There is also a message to my friend, Amélie. Twenty years after high school, Amélie, Frankie, and I began to have annual lunches. It was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with the teacher I worshipped in high school. I will share her story and insights about life someday. Continue reading →

Tagged "sandwich generation", Aging Parents, Caregiving, childhood friendship, choir memories, choral, elderly parents, Friendship, friendship and grief, grief, GRIEF RELATED, high school memories, inspiration, loss, mother, mother daughter relationship, mother's illness, Music, performing, reconnecting, singing, teacher relationship | 6 Comments

ILLUMINATING HEARTACHE

Posted on May 2, 2010 by Judy

There was a lot of listening to do. She shared her anguish with a voice that did not reveal the true depth of her pain. The hospital insisted that her dying husband be released to her care tomorrow. She was not prepared. The hospital felt there was nothing more to do and she was responsible to set up hospice care; she needed to handle all those arrangements. She needed a hospital bed; she needed nurses. It was overwhelming. It was hard for her to deal with; she wanted him to stay in the hospital a little longer. Continue reading →

Tagged Caregiving, childhood friendship, death, Friendship, friendship during illness, grief, grief and support, GRIEF RELATED, Holocaust survivor, Hospice, illness, inspiration, loss, supportive | Leave a comment

REACHING OUT

Posted on April 28, 2010 by Judy

What does reaching out really mean?
To me, it means that sometimes it involves doing something we might find uncomfortable.
Often, there is an excuse of not wanting to reach out because we might impose on someone.
Sometimes, it is difficult to do something because we’re afraid it might cause the other person to be sad.
Often the truth is that we don’t want to see their sadness!
It’s far easier to ignore it! When the sadness is hidden, we can assume it’s “going away.” That is simply not true. For many people, the sadness is so much easier to tolerate when it is shared.
However, my lesson is that even though every person is different – it is well worth the risk to reach out. Continue reading →