Another Goodbye
A couple of the people that have made this move of ours so much more tolerable and even delightful have been our new friends Kelli and Drason. They are quite a few years younger than us but we’ve connected in a sweet way. We met Kelli a couple of weeks before we even bought the house. She was walking her dog Keeney in the street. I stopped the car because her pup looks so much like our Scruffy, who is a bit rare. It turned out the they are a related breed but not quite the same. Scruffy is a wire-haired pointing griffon and Keeney is a drahthaar.
That day I noticed that something was a little off as we spoke. I wondered if she was learning disabled or perhaps on the autism spectrum (just guesses). As it turned out it there was something wrong. Two years previous, Drason found that he couldn’t wake Kelli from a deep sleep. Eventually they took her to the hospital where the doctors discovered a large tumor in her brain. Surgery was done, and 3 more followed, and since that time Kelli is heavily medicated for seizures. Formerly a professional soccer player, where she played all over the world, she has had to change her life drastically. She is adapting to life surprisingly well but understandably gets discouraged at times.
Boy Scout invited her over whenever he opened up the dog park (our backyard) and Keeney and Scruffy would play and wear each other out. We’ve also had many good times around the dinner table, reading poetry, talked about travels and life in Oregon.
On Tuesday Drason, Kelli and Keeney moved 3 1/2 hours away. They moved close to Drason’s work, where she will see him daily instead of weekends only. They will have a lot more peace of mind in regards to her health. I will miss her terribly but I am very happy for them.
Life is a constant stream of saying goodbyes. Does one ever quite get used to that?
They sound like a lovely couple. Professional soccer player? I wonder if doing headers with the ball had anything to do with her brain tumour issue. It's a dangerous thing to do, they say.
ReplyDeleteIt's always sad to have to say good-bye to people we really like having as neighbors and friends in our lives. Such a sad story about Kelli's health. I hope the move is good for them and that you keep in touch.
ReplyDeleteAn open heart meets many wonderful people and the sadness of losing them goes along with it. Maybe you will be able to stay in contact with them.
ReplyDeleteNo, never get used to it. 🤧
ReplyDeleteNo, one never gets used to that even as we learn to roll with the punches. We live in a mobile society, especially for the younger folks. As William Blake's poem, Eternity, says:
ReplyDelete“He who binds to himself a joy
Does the winged life destroy;
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity's sun rise.”
Yeah, I know. It sucks.
Leaving people behind is something I can't seem to do. Now that my husband and I are retired, I find myself scrolling real estate sites. Now is the time we could easily move to a house that checks off more things on our dream list, ie. more land. Instead, we stay put because we've made too many darn friends in this neighbourhood. I'm sure Kelli is going to miss your friendship terribly. Hopefully, you'll keep in touch.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we do get over goodbyes. It's why I never want to leave -- at least, not leave far.
ReplyDeleteI am glad for all of you that you crossed paths and were able to build a friendship.
ReplyDelete