sad Christmas season

we (Bill and I) are both sick. My parents are more sick. we just have a little cold. But my sinuses are in great distress right now, partly because we heard last night that a very dear friend of the family died, and every so often I have a thought that make me start crying.

Ken and Marty McClatchey were our next door neighbors where I was born. Their daughters, Suki and Suni, were about Sarah's and my ages. Ken took us to the hospital for me to be born. He took us to the hospital when I had convulsions at 11 months. He was one of those people you could always depend on to be there. Now he's gone.

For years, we got together every year for my birthday or for christmas, but we haven't been in very close touch since Sarah and I both moved out of town, Suki moved to Chicago, and Suni moved to Washington DC. I wouldn't have expected it to hit me this hard. I knew he had pancreatic Cancer and the prognosis was not good, and I thought I had accepted the fact that he would probably die soon.

I guess reality is often different from what you anticipate.