Death Becomes Us

At 7:50pm, as we were closing the store, my mother gets a call from my father telling her that her best friend, Cecilia, just went into cardiac arrest and they were in the hospital in Mexicali. As she is on the line my father's radio goes off telling him the doctor is coming out with some news. The news was that Cecilia died. Witnessing my mother and the outright denial, blame, shock, incredulity, all in one tightly wound package was distressing to say the least.

Cecilia was a kind older woman, I thought she was pretty funny if dramatic like all good latin women that I know. My mother and she grew very close throughout this last year, talking constantly on the phone like high school girls. To the point where we'd have to scold my mother to put the phone down while we were at dinner. Almost every day off they had, my parents would go to Indio (where she lives/d) to spend time with her and her family. A very strong friendship grew out of this relationship. She became my mother's best friend like no friend I've seen in too many years to count. The devastation of this event is baffling and incredibly saddening. I really hope my mother can mend and be okay with this. I don't have any notion of the pain or anguish she feels or will feel when it truly sinks in. What I do know is that my parents are leaving on Thursday to Argentina and I know it's going to hurt my mother to have to miss the funeral.

It amazes me how quickly a person can be gone. It saddens me to know how deeply those of us left behind will hurt and mourn. I wish death wasn't necessary.