Cynosure

My mom has been one of my life-long best friends. My mom was one I talked to often after she and my dad divorced, which occurred when I was 10. My mom was one I talked to often as I was going through a difficult adolescence. My mom was one I talked to often as I was going through the rocky latter years of my first marriage, which ended in a divorce after 9 years. My mom was one I talked to often after my divorce, when I moved over 1,000 miles away, from my home state, and lived alone to pursue my IT career. My mom was one I talked to often during my tumultuous relationship with a beautiful yet highly dysfunctional girlfriend, who I once lived with for over a year before the inevitable, awful break-up. My mom was one I talked to often during the rocky start of my 2nd marriage. My mom was one I talked to often during the dot.com bubble burst, when my IT career went spiraling downward and I suddenly went deep into debt. And so on, and so on.

And now.... and now my mom, who still lives (with her husband) over 1,000 miles away from me and my present-day family, is dying of cancer. (She had breast cancer that has now spread to her heart and liver.) And, so, soon – about 3 or 4 months from now (according to the doctors) – one of my life-long best friends will no longer be available for me to talk to.