I’m feeling a bit whipsawed. We left Juneau (in light snow) early Tuesday for an uneventful flight to Seattle, and then on to DC. Arrived at National Airport on time, around 10pm, and shuttled our way to the rental car area to pick up a vehicle, get into the still busy traffice and cross town up North Capitol Street to Martha’s for two nights.
Wednesday, I spent a few hours visiting with Joan, an old and dear friend, who runs a decade ahead of me. Frailty has arrived in her life. Yesterday after dental and optical checkups for Bill, we came to Mary’s and were joined for dinner with my former dear housemate, Susan.
Through the last couple of weeks I’ve been spending a pile of time on the phone or by email on care for my old boarding-school classmate Marian, who lives on Vancouver island. The end of that came yesterday, when she finally after a long hard fight lost a 6-year battle with cancer, the disease of our age. I have a hollow feeling round the ribs – glad I was able to do what I could for her, and sad for the unhappiness of much of her life. Added Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athill to my reading wish-list. Observations on being old, written in her ’90’s, and noting the much of her time was spent on caring for those even older. Re-read the relevant Lessons Learned page from our website, didn’t find anything more to add to it.
This afternoon we pick up Craig and Jill at Dulles airport, take them to Joan’s where they’ll stay, and then drive to Sarah and Rob’s for a pre-wedding gathering and practice. DC is traffic and busyness embodied, I miss the peace and pace of Juneau.
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