As I sat down to write my update yesterday, the phone rang.
It was my friend’s husband.
“We had to take Adrianne to the hospital on Wednesday. She will not make it. If you want to see her, don’t leave it for later.”
My heart bled. I have known Adrianne for over 20 years now. She was in the very first writing course I joined. She became my biggest supporter, urging me to keep writing endeavors, even when constructing coherent sentences or expressing my thoughts on paper felt like a daunting task.
After the course finished, we kept meeting at my house once a month, writing and sharing stories from our lives.
She is an amazing woman. Firey, feisty, an advocate for women’s rights. She is a force to be reckoned with. Longing for love and acceptance throughout her entire life, even when her own mother treated her poorly (going as far as calling her a ‘failed abortion’), she had an abundance of love to offer.
She is the most compassionate individual I’ve met in my life. Despite having so little, she gave generously and without reservation. For half of her career, she served as a certified teacher, and for the remaining half, she worked as a certified nurse. Her entire life was dedicated to serving others, using both her professional expertise and her boundless kindness.
However, she has endured immense suffering. Her initial spouse was deeply troubled, and he made severe threats against her and her three children, putting their lives in danger.
All of her children have passed away and over the last three years, she has been grappling with excruciating, arthritic pain. Yet she never lost either her fighting spirit or sense of humor. She is my hero.
I went and saw her in the hospital an hour after the call. The fiery, feisty, 87-year-old dynamo was curled up like a newborn in the vast expanse of the hospital bed. Although heavily drugged, she recognized me.
“How are you, Adrianne?” I asked.
“A little older, my dear,” she said.
“How are you feeling?” I asked.
“Pathetic,” she said.
“What is the plan?” I asked
“See you in the morning,” she said.
May god relieve her from her pain and give her a better life next time.
The one she really deserves.