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A Friend in Deed
My friends have saved my life.
I just returned home from having lunch with a woman who I have known for a few years but had never spent time with alone. We had so much fun. She and I established the beginning of a new friendship. At this time of life, it’s not customary to be looking for new friends. But, when you think about it, many of us live alone and welcome that opportunity, and I’m one of the many.
I moved to Manhattan one year ago and left friends behind in NJ. I also gave up my car, so to keep up these precious relationships, my friends came to the city to see me.
Of course, besides me, the city has much to offer, such as museums, theater, concerts, recitals, parks, and good restaurants. So, practically anything they want to do, including seeing me, is possible during our visits.
My friends are invaluable. They have been throughout my life. They were a conduit for me to escape from my distorted family dramas to normalcy once I was old enough to interact with them and after my brother was born. Some friends are from lifetimes ago; I still speak to them regularly.
Almost as soon as he arrived, my brother exhibited atypical behavior. My parents hovered over him in an attempt to fix whatever was wrong. They took him from doctor to doctor; he remained a mystery. The closest he ever came to a diagnosis was…