There are social conventions for chewing gum, but...
Having read all those articles with suggestions for what to do when a friend is ill, I find it's still incredibly hard to know what to say or do. A colleague (also a LIBERRian) has a horrendous illness. She's seldom at work (and we work in different buildings) so I haven't seen her - so we email. Somehow sending cards and ecards seems lame. I've offered to help with her LIBERRy (did learn that from some article: don't just say "let me know what I can do" - offer something specific you can actually manage) - if she's able, we'll meet so I can do that next week.
I know that one of her greatest fears, besides worrying about if she'll survive, is that we'll forget her. So how do we reassure her that we are constantly thinking of her?
Her illness is not contagious, but you'd think it was from our response. Why do we not have more contact when something like this happens? Do we just really not know what to say? Are we denying the possibility that one of us could wind up with the same illness - something almost impossible to detect before it's too late? Are we so forcefully reminded of our own mortality that we're moving away as a form of denial?
This woman is one of the strongest people I know. She's been fighting for her life for almost a year now - fighting hard and maintaining a positive attitude...until now. Her latest email sounded weary, plaintive, fearful. Maybe it was because she emailed after a trying, tiring procedure. Maybe it was because it was only to a couple of us and she felt comfortable enough to be honest and not have to maintain the woman of steel persona. Maybe not.
I know that one of her greatest fears, besides worrying about if she'll survive, is that we'll forget her. So how do we reassure her that we are constantly thinking of her?
Her illness is not contagious, but you'd think it was from our response. Why do we not have more contact when something like this happens? Do we just really not know what to say? Are we denying the possibility that one of us could wind up with the same illness - something almost impossible to detect before it's too late? Are we so forcefully reminded of our own mortality that we're moving away as a form of denial?
This woman is one of the strongest people I know. She's been fighting for her life for almost a year now - fighting hard and maintaining a positive attitude...until now. Her latest email sounded weary, plaintive, fearful. Maybe it was because she emailed after a trying, tiring procedure. Maybe it was because it was only to a couple of us and she felt comfortable enough to be honest and not have to maintain the woman of steel persona. Maybe not.
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