Tuesday afternoon while I was beyond sick watching daytime TV, I got a call from my girlfriend who told me she was on her way to the hospital that her father had fallen into a coma after a stroke.  Always a pillar strength, she was already tearing up and preparing herself for seeing her dad.  Over the last couple of years, her relationship with her father has been better than it’s ever been and they’ve grown closer.  I tried to provide her a sounding board while she allowed herself to be scared with me and told her that of course I will be praying for her.

Not even 15 minutes after that my friend who also goes by “Rico Legend” (for his bootleg striking resemblance to John Legend) calls me with an update on his mom.  She was at home recovering after all could be done at the hospital after surgery and a history of cancer.  He was telling me that she wasn’t doing too well that day and that she wasn’t eating but they’re remaining positive and hope she’ll pull through.  I told him to keep the faith and to keep singing to her.  He had started singing to her and she was feeding him requests.  I told him that I loved him and that to call me and keep me updated.

I then started beating myself up for taking my own single parent mother for granted and how 2 of my best friends had their own parent in the hospital.  I prayed for a long time that afternoon.  Later that night I got a call from my girlfriend, her father died and she just kept repeating that he wouldn’t see her getting married.   I could feel my heart just breaking for her.  I have never heard her this way before.  I didn’t know what to say or what to do, all I could keep saying was “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry”. Then again not even 15 minutes after she called my other friend called me to let me know that his mother died.  They both died at around the same time.  He sounded so calm and so together (he always is) and he kept saying that he’s glad she’s out of pain and that he wouldn’t have wanted her to stay around for his own selfish reason and that he prefers that she’s at peace now.  He was calming me down saying that it was ok and that everything will be ok.  I admired him.  I told him about our friends’ dad and he said he couldn’t believe that they passed at the same time. 

As I got off the phone, I just broke down in an uncontrollable way.  It was just surreal to me.   Two of my best friends losing their parents at the same time.  How was I going to be there in a way they needed to be?  It hasn’t been easy.  Like I told my friends, with them gone they knew what a great job they did raising them.  I’m so fortunate to have friends like that in my life and I told them that when I prayed for their parents, I also thanked them for bringing them into my life.  Much thanks, love and eternal respect to Bernarda and Mack for giving me two of my greatest friends and to my friends know that they are still with us in spirt, our heart and in our words, that you must believe.