What a winter we have had. Crocuses do not bloom in New York State (usually) in February. But now that they are, some symbolism, please.
Crocuses are a symbol of spring, of plants coming to life from their winter's nap, of recovery, of life.
If I hadn't gone to Brooklyn this weekend to visit a friend undergoing treatment for cancer, I never would have seen the crocuses in her front yard.
So how did the visit go? It was wonderful, every minute of it.
We laughed - a lot. My friend talked - a lot. We went to a local pizzeria and ate pizza. Her husband took the four of us (my friend, my spouse, her spouse and I) to Fairway, a "gourmet" supermarket in a neighborhood called Red Hook. Once a slum, Red Hook (or parts of it, anyway) is on its way up. You can see the Statue of Liberty from the patio.
I took nearly 90 pictures of the trip. And one of my friend.
My friend is undergoing chemo. This is her second round with cancer (the first was 30 years ago with Ovarian cancer) and she has been very involved in cancer fundraisers. She has always been physically active, but wasn't sure she would be able to participate in the Revlon Run/Walk on May 5. She loves the energy of these events and really wants to do it. But her energy levels are unpredictible.
One year she met Haile Berry at one of these events and got her cap signed.
She is realistic but optimistic. She talked frankly about the side effects of her chemo. The cold that nothing can warm up. The terribly dry skin. The sudden trips to the restroom. The days where walking down the stairs from her bedroom to her living room tires her out so much she needs a nap.
We also talked about ...oh, so many things.
We plan to see each other again in May.
What a beautiful post. Thanks for sharing. We all need to be reminded just how precious life is.
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