Wednesday, June 14, 2006

FAIR WEATHER FRIENDS

Peggy and I vowed to always be there for one another and we were until...Alzheimer's started making her disappear in her 40's.

I walk back through my mind to the day that we made our forever friend promise. Our promise was to always be there for one another.     

It was a hot summer day in Birmingham, Alabama and we were keeping cool playing with the garden hose in our front yard. We ran through the cold water screaming and laughing for hours.

Our mother was sitting on the porch with her sister, who was visiting. I heard mother and Aunt Louise talk about fair weather friends as we ran through the cold water of the garden hose.

We finished our play and sat on the steps below mother and Aunt Louise. We listened to every word that they said and smothered giggles and rolled our eyes at their conversation. We were enjoying hearing their grown up talk until they realized we were listening and told us to go and play.

Later that evening, we were walking down our street and discussing fair weather friends, what the word meant and if we knew any one who was like that to us.  We each had a list of people that we thought might be fair weather friends.  We began to put them into categories and name names!

There were the fair weather friends who hurt our feelings on purpose.

There were the fair weather friends who were not really our friends unless we were having a party.

There were fair weather friends who made fun of us one day and liked us the next day.

There were the fair weather friends that we kept hoping would like us and invite us to their house but they never did.

Then, there were the fair weather friends who just forgot to include us. They didn't mean any harm and usually apologized for the oversight.

 I have days when I get angry that Peggy is not there for me any longer. Days when I feel like she has bcome one of those fair weather friends.

I have days when I need her to listen to my life.

Days when I need her to be there for me again.

Days when the empty space that she left is as high as a mountain and deep as the sea.

I have days when I have to remember my promise to Peggy on that hot day in Alabama when we were girls.

I promised her that I would never be a fair weather friend and she promised me the same.

All of Peggys promises were taken away from her theday the Alzheimer's disease entered her mind and made her forget.

I remember two little girls who thought that they had forever as sisters.

Forever came to soon and I am the only one who remembers that day so long ago.The day we made promises and meant them with all of our young hearts. 

We just never realized that sometimes ..... promises are broken and cannot be kept.

The thought never entered our minds that ......

Forever would come so soon.

I Love You Today, Peggy!

I Miss You!

Mary Louise

 

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your memories are precious... thinking of you, Michelle

Anonymous said...

You aren't the only one who knows of your promise anymore... We all do... And it is a sweet promose that you both kept...
Peggy kept it as long as she possibly could and so have you.  And you are still forever friends.  You both still mean the promise, and you both will still be there for eachother.... (just in new ways) Forever
love,
Wendy

Anonymous said...

Peggy didn't forget her promise - it's a disease that prevented her from being able to keep hers. I'm sure that if it were up to her she would keep it. But it isn't up to her anymore.
It's only in situations like the one you are in that you come to learn who your true friends are. Fair weather friends are irrelevant.

http://journals.aol.co.uk/pharmolo/NorthernTrip

Anonymous said...

Your journal entry is excellent.  As usual it is filled with insight into yours and Peggy's relationship.  I'm sure that my perspective on these entries is different than that of any other reader because I know so much about how you valued the connections you had with her.  I am so sad that what the two of you enjoyed together had to end so soon.  You each had some of the same qualities of twins.  You could speak of the other as if it was yourself.  Thanks for sharing.

I love you, ML.   John

Anonymous said...

Hi Mary Louise!

Even though I see you in Gwynns journal a lot, I don't think I have been to your journal before. I am so sorry. Peggy is beautiful, and the last comment is true, you even look like twins. I read back a few entries and your stories touched my heart.  My sister and I were never close.....but you make me feel your lonliness.  And I feel a deep loss for a relationship that I never had.

Take Care  

Darlene

http://journals.aol.com/djohn52/AgeingGracefullyWithAllTheHelpIC/

Anonymous said...

"I remember two little girls who thought that they had forever as sisters."

Mary Louise....the promise was not broken.  You are forever sisters.  Forever has no end.  Just because Alzheimer's is taking Peggy away piece by piece and she will depart from the earth, she is your sister for all eternity.  She will go to a peaceful place and be in your heart and memories FOREVER.
Hugs,

Anonymous said...

Lovely, Mary Louise -- just lovely.