At the beginning of 2008, my dear, dear friends Amanda and Patrick were in a horrific automobile accident. Amanda was thrown from the car. She suffered catastropic injuries. Was in intensive care forever, it seemed. In the hospital for months. It was truly "touch and go".
I drove up from San Miguel to be with her and Patrick. To lend whatever help I possibly could. To be by her side as much as the nurses would let me. You see, Amanda is more like a sister to me. I'm blessed to have several "sisters" who are not biologically connected to me.
I wrote about Amanda on 1/7/08, 1/9/08, 2/24/08 and 3/24/08. I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't given any updates, I don't think, since then.
Amanda is without a doubt the most positive person I know. During the time since I last wrote, she has gone through zillions of operations, hours and days of physical therapy, learned to use a wheel chair but is now walking with a walker and/or cane. Something she was told would likely not happen.
Through all of this, she still manages with the assistance of her magnificent husband, to fly to Boston for a granddaughter's dance recitial, have friends over for dinner, ride in the convertible with the top down with Patrick and essentially enjoy life.
In every day life, she is an inspiration of thinking the cup is half-full and not half-empty. She is a hero of mine. So is Patrick. What an incredible caregiver he has been in the last four years. He seems to be unflappable. Has had his own health issues. Never talks about them.
Friends like Amanda and Patrick are few and far between. Thank goodness I have them to visit, stay with, talk to and of course, laugh with. Thirty years of friendship is a blessing indeed. None of us take it for granted.
By the way, Amanda and Patrick have seven children and more grandkids then I can count. Life is very full for them. I'm proud to call them my friends.
The photo above was when we went to eat at a funky restaurant on the water in some place I've never been. Patrick always knows the back roads. When we're all together we giggle and laugh like teenagers. We laugh at all the crazy stuff we've done together - like plant fake plastic flamingos in each other's front yards; or give someone a chicken for a birthday present during a scavenger hunt. Too many stories to tell. I could go on and on.
Suffice to say, Life is good.
4 comments:
I have about five people who are labeled as friends. And they are all treasures to me. I miss seeing them since I moved down here. But, thanks to this marvelous machine sitting in front of me, I can contact them every day. I don't. And, for their sake, that is just as well.
People like your friends Patrick and Amanda are wonderful to have in your life. They are inspiring and help to remind you of the good things in your own life.
Steve, I understand exactly what you mean........
Shannon, a wonderful way to look at that......
They are a truly wonderful couple and Amanda is the epitome of courage and determination...amazing folk, both of them. And only thanks to you, Babs, have I made their acquaintance.
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