Friends are special people in our lives - there are close ones, casual ones and there are also those that are once in a lifetime type of friends.

I'd like to tell you about my friend whom I will call Helen. A few years back I was transferred to a new work group after recently losing my brother very suddenly. I was still traumatized and just going through the motions of work and life in general. My brother was a big part of my life and when he died, a part of me went with him.

My upper level management thought a change of scenery would help me so I came to the department where Helen was one of the folks I would be working with. She smiled and introduced herself and said if I ever needed help about the policies, procedures or who to contact let her know and she'd be glad to help.

Through many weekend urgent calls and last-minute program fixes, we worked as a team. Our group enjoyed a weekly get-together for lunch of spaghetti and it was always a hilarious time. We let out steam and passed around ideas to improve the work flow and through it all, Helen was a very big part of our team.

Downsizing came through the department and Helen took the package and I went on to another job within the company but we still kept in touch. The spagetti dinners were now in the evenings and I made them when I could. Helen was in attendance for the most part.

A couple of times Helen missed and I asked if the group had heard from her. Some said no, I sent her emails but they were unanswered. Then came an email from her that she had lost her Mother. We all tried to comfort Helen and it seemed like she was coming through the loss when again she dropped out of the group. Again, I asked someone who lived near her if they had heard from her. They said no, they had called but no answer. Soon afterward we learned that Helen was taken to the hospital after being found in a fetal position in severe pain - we don't know for how long but a neighbor found her. She was rushed to the hospital where she was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer. I went to the hospital to see her and it was all I could do to keep from gasping when I saw her. She had shrunk to less than half of her size - very frail.

While we visited I let her know how much her friendship had meant to me and she would always be in my memory bank. She knew her time was limited. By then her family had been called in from out of state to take her back with them. She was so frail the doctors hesitated to let her go but she did return home. I stayed in touch with her sister and family once she returned even though I knew when I last saw her in the hospital, that would be the final time I'd see Helen.

Just today her sister asked me for a picture of Helen - they are planning the funeral and had no recent pictures of Helen for the obituary. I sent one that I had of our group with Helen very prominent in the middle of a laughing group to her and along with it my thanks for having a friend like Helen. Her sister wanted to know if they could use my thoughts at the service - of course I said yes. Saying good-bye to a friend like Helen is not easy but if I had the choice to have her as a friend all over again - I'd be honored. She is and always will be a jewel.

Learn more about this author, C Wells.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Reflections: Saying goodbye to a friend?
We want to hear your view. Write now!