marcoujor: Time Marches On

"True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evils. Strive to have friends, for life without friends is like life on a desert island... to find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune; to keep him (her) is a blessing."

 (Baltasar Gracian)

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Happy March 19th Birthday to my dear friend, Karen.

I first met Karen in the Fall of 1979 as we entered the Nursing program of Villanova University.
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It’s mind boggling that 38 years have passed since we met. We are now friends for life.

​Like true sisters, we are both eerily similar and wildly opposite. We share the same core values, including a purposeful passion for our families and the nursing profession. We are as different in musical tastes as Kansas 🙂 is to Steely Dan 🙁.

​Although months may pass before we have time to connect, we’re able to pick up right where we left off. This includes our gift exchanges. With us, it’s never too late or early to give Christmas and birthday gifts.

I wanted to share my recent Christmas gift from Karen, who has an intuitive ability to select what is perfect for me.

Check out my Yellow and Black Labrador Retriever Whirligig. Karen knows the love I feel for my own Labs, both past and the present.

My husband assembled this sentimental gift for me. He temporarily placed it in a Rubber tree that has travelled from me to my Mom and back to me again for the past seven years. I’m convinced my ‘see saw of sweetness’ belongs here permanently--a center of life, longevity, balance and joy.

So, dear Karen, wishing you a birthday and year to come filled with family, friends, fitness and fun. Hope you enjoy this song, my ‘old’ friend, as well as the Steely Dan tune linked above. I’ll understand if you pass on the Kansas number... 😊​

Hello Old Friend by Eric Clapton ​

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​I will miss wishing another friend a Happy Birthday this year on March 26th. Speaking of longevity, Fouad Abdel was our Veterinarian for the (soon-to-be) thirty years of our marriage.

Since the Fall of 2016, Fouad’s health had been on the decline. Until he was placed on hospice care, he was selflessly faithful to the dogs, cats and ‘their parents’ that he served. While his body failed, his mind was ever sharp. When I visited, he asked about Andy, by name, most every time.

Sadly, he never met or knew about Zoey. I know he would have been pleased with our decision to adopt, as he believed in the positive social and emotional benefits of sibling pets.

Since mid-January, it has been sadly unreal to see a ‘For Sale’ sign on Fouad’s adjoining home and office. I knew the day was coming and that Fouad was ready. I could see him growing increasingly weary and weak.

And on March 26th, just one week from today, I know there will be a joyful celebration in heaven. Fouad met Sarah in the late 1990s. She was first a customer, when she brought her beloved poodle to a new veterinarian. In a casual conversation, they discovered a shared birthday.

Fouad’s face filled with smiles as he told me stories of their four years together. He called Sarah his soul mate. He told me he could not wait to be reunited with her. Now he is, along with so many four-legged friends he made along the way, including Jake, Katie, Ninny, Chuckie, Daisy and Scottie (our kitties), along with Alvin and Aunt Baby, all of whom thrived under his compassionate care.

I will never forget Fouad, tough as nails on the outside, marshmallow-soft in the middle.

Doc, this song is all for you...

Goodbye My Friend By Linda Ronstadt ​

​Until next time, wishing you time and memories with those you love,

mar