Sunday morning, I looked at my email
for the first time since Friday. I was just so very very busy on Saturday…hah.
I wasted, if you want to call it that, the entire day watching “Heartland” on
Netfliks. I began before 9:00 am and didn’t stop until after midnight. I did
take bathroom and food breaks and wrote my post, but spent the day in my
nightie with one or both of the doggies on the couch staring at the television.
Don’t ask me why because I honestly don’t know. I just did it.
In some ways, I’m very sorry I ever
started watching “Heartland.” It has 11 seasons and so far, 18 shows per
season. I think I just finished the fourth season. It’s produced in Canada and
set in Alberta. I’ve never been there, but the scenery is gorgeous and I do so
envy the folks who star in this program. It’s set on a ranch called Heartland
with an entire family from Grandpa to the baby just born in the last episode I
watched. The ranch has beautiful horses and one of the granddaughters is a “horse
whisperer,” who becomes known as “The Miracle Girl.” I would absolutely love to
live there and ride horses all the dang time.
Perhaps I just needed to escape for
the day between John’s birthday and Father’s Day. That’s what I’m going to
attribute it to. I spent the day in Alberta with a group of friends I really
love. Spending virtual time with them made me feel good and didn’t allow me to
think of much else.
Back to Sunday morning and my email. The
second email in my feed was from Judy, the wife of a man with whom I went to
high school. Her email was to inform me (and others) that Dale had passed away
early Saturday morning. Like John, Dale had been battling health issues for
some time, and I know their lives had not been easy. Still, when one of you
suddenly, even if you expect it, has gone on ahead, it’s very difficult. I
sympathize deeply with this friend.
Dale and I both went to Lincoln High
School. We didn’t have many classes together, but I knew him. When he went off
to the Air Force, he wrote to me for a time, and then we lost touch. Years
later, John and I became great friends with Dave who had met Dale at North Seattle Community College after he, Dave, moved to Seattle. In any case, Dave brought Dale and his wife back into our
lives. It was good to see an old friend, and we always saw them at least once a
year at a July 4th picnic.
Twelve years ago, at that picnic, Dale
wanted to know where I’d been in June. Turned out our high school’s 45th
reunion had been held then. Obviously, I wasn’t there, but told Dale I’d go to
the 50th with him. And, I did and it now seems impossible that it
was only seven years ago. So few years really, when both Dale and John were in
good health. So few years, and now they are both gone.
I know there won’t be a picnic this
July 4th because of the pandemic. I also know there most likely won’t
be a funeral or memorial for Dale because of the pandemic. In some ways I’m
happy about the picnic not happening because not only would I miss John’s
presence so very much, but now I would also miss Dale. I think I’ve reached
that point in life where there are going to be more and more people whose
absence will be noted and missed by me until the time comes where I’m absent as
well. I know it’s all part of living, but dang it, I sure don’t like it much at
all.