I remember when Elisabeth Kubler-Ross died. (She was known for identifying the five stages of grief.) I was working in the mental-health field, and things felt like they did when Michael Jackson died this summer.
Anyway, I realize it took me five years to go through the five grief stages, from ages 30 to 35, on missing out on stuff.
(For the unfamiliar: Denial –> Anger –> Bargaining –> Depression –> Acceptance.)
South Florida is full of people in recovery from alcohol and drugs. It’s also full of bars. The dichotomy is laughable — everyone is either sober or stoned. But while they’re busy working their 12 steps, I’ve mastered my five steps in just a few months. I’m a pro!
A friend from D.C. was in town this week. And I just couldn’t break away to see her. I tried. Believe me, I tried. (And I’m gonna plug my ears and go “la-la-la” while you mention the other times I didn’t see my old friends this summer. How is it nobody ever traveled to D.C. but everyone seems to come to Miami?)
*la-la-la*
I just saw a Facebook post on the wall of the friend who was JUST HERE, saying another friend of hers passed away suddenly. (Dude, we’re 35, yo. Scary.)
Well, it was sudden to her was the point I’m making … that regular communication with our friends is critical so that we aren’t blindsided with bad news about people we love when we’re focused on everything else.
I find I’ve gotten too familiar with, and subsequently comfortable in, the acceptance phase. I’d go nuts otherwise. But I’m thinking that it’s finally time to start planning a visit back to the nation’s capital. I don’t want to find out that the people I love so very much aren’t going to be there for me to go back to.
So, anybody want a visitor? 😉