Waiting...

Got some bad news last night. One of my best friend's mothers has been admitted to the hospital, and is on a ventilator. She had been a sort of surrogate mom for the four of us when we were in college. Their house was only an hour away, and we slept over many weekends when we wanted to eat dinner at a 'good' restaurant; shop at a 'good' mall, or just get away from campus without having to drive a great distance!

We swam in the pool during the summer. After we turned 21, we'd bar-hop, then crash in the spare bedroom. Then it was off to church, and her parents would take us to a favorite brunch place and feed us before kissing us goodbye.

She suffered from crippling arthritis, and though it sounds as if we just took her wonderful hospitality for granted, it was far from the truth. We treated her with respect, love, and kindness. She listened to us moan about various boys, and offered us cookies and advice. She listened the next day after watching "Terms of Endearment" and our stories about deaths in our own families. And whenever she was sent to the hospital in Indianapolis for surgery, at least one of us was always present in order to lend support.

Now I'm the closest one. Tuesday, I may be making a trip to Evansville, with three of my best friends. I don't know if the fourth will be able to make it. I'm not sure how I'll swing it, doing single mom duty, but I'll find a way, hopefully.

Right now, all I can do is pray, and I'm torn between a swift death and holding out for two more days. Or maybe she'll even recover?