"P.S. I love you"--- Old Loves and New Loves

This weekend was very ordinary and somehow extraordinary at the same time.

On friday I went to Muncie with an old family friend. She was a missionary in TZ the same time that we were there. Since her return to the States, she has gone through a very nasty divorce after her husband left her for another man. On top of which he doesn't have much to do with their two children, one of which is terminally ill and so it takes a great deal of personal strength to deal with that situation- let alone by herself.

Whenever she has to go out of town to take her son to Chicago or Mayo Clinic I usually house sit for her and watch her dog. It has been so obvious to see and feel the level of suffering she and her children have been through, that I try and do specail things for them while they are gone. I will have my dad come over fix the leaky faucet or the cupboard doors that don't latch. I will do some deep cleaning for them, just things that I know they don't have the time to do themselves on a regular basis.

It is funny when I think about the history of my family's relationship with this family. She didn't like my family, my parents, or my sisters then entire time we were in TZ together. Her husband made tons of trouble for my parents and I personally didn't know if I would ever be able to forgive them for the harm they caused my family. And then they came back here, and my heart broke for them. As hard as they ever made life for us, I would have never wanted this same kind of harm to befall them. I recieved so much healing through this.

Well, about two weeks ago she called and asked if I wanted to go out with her on friday becuase for the first time in ages she didn't have the kids this weekend. I of course said yes... I mean she is a fun lady!

We went to see P.S. I love you at the theater. Her ex-mother-in-law suggested the movie to her, saying that she would really like it. I don't know what kind of curel toucher her mother-in-law had in mind, but watching a movie about spoucial abandoment through death and divorce is about the worst for a woman who feels alone in the world. It was a good movie...a real tear jecker-- but not the kind of movie you see on the one free weekend you have because your former husband has finally made time to spend with his children.

After the movie we went to Carols O'Kelly's for dinner (a mexican/irish resturant? interesting indeed!). I didn't know how to handle her emotional response to the movie- or just how desperate she felt about her life right now. I kept thinking, I am not equipped to talk to her....I am 23, single, never married, never divorces, no children, no terminally ill children, not 40 something....I was freaking out in my mind.

I didn't know what to do other than hold her hand when she cried, laugh when she smiled, and hug her when she needed. It was all that I could do.

Contrastly, I was woken up the next morning by my older sister in my bed with a giant smile on her face. It was her birthday, but that wasn't the source of her happiness. She had just gotten back from a wonderful date with a guy that she really likes....She was beaming from ear to ear. This guy seems to be great for her and he really likes her. She desirves to be adored!!

It is intersting to see how love gained and love lost, old love and new love, broken hearts and healed hearts are birthed with the passing of the other. I can't help but feel though that we are meant to have partners in life. It seems as though it is just too hard to handle the down times alone, but it also seems that the good times are not complete without someone to share them with.