February 6: A Friend, a Trifle, a Goodbye

One of my coworkers in the medical office retired today.  She's a registered nurse, and I've been working with this woman for almost 15 years.  She's helped me through some pretty difficult times in my life.  Listened when I needed to talk.  Provided Kleenex when I needed to cry.  Fed me when I was hungry.  Never turned me down when I asked her for a favor.

She deserves to retire.  She's worked hard her whole life, and that life hasn't been the easiest.  She has a daughter who suffers from schizophrenia.  Perhaps that's what drew us together--our experiences dealing with a family member's mental illness.   When things got difficult with my wife's bipolar, I didn't have to explain my struggles to my coworker.  She understood.  When my coworker's daughter was wandering the streets homeless, I understood my coworker's helplessness.  Even when our home lives were a mess, we had each other at work for strength.

At the end of Charlotte's Web, Charlotte reflects on her relationship with Wilbur:

"You have been my friend," replied Charlotte.  "That in itself is a tremendous thing.  I wove my webs for you because I liked you.  After all, what's a life, anyway?  We're born, we live a little while, we die.  A spider's life can't help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies.  By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle.  Heaven knows anyone's life can stand a little of that."

My coworker has lifted my life a trifle in the 15 years we've known each other.  I hope I have done the same for her.  Charlotte is right.  We all are on this planet for such a short time.  And most of that short time really is just a series of messes.  My coworker has made my messes a little more bearable, and I am lucky to have had her in my life.

Thank you, Marjie, for being my friend.  Goodbye.

And that's a piece of Saint Marty's mind.