A Friend Remembered

My best friend once said
"Throw flowers with a whole lot of love
And a little bit of sadness"
On some days it was reversed
I always knew what she meant by it
And then one day
She died
And I knew
The way she would have said it
On that day

I was thinking ahead to this coming summer, when I suddenly found myself remembering past summers. In the summer of 1968 my best friend died. We had been talking about her transferring from Ithaca College in New York and becoming roommates the following year. Her parents were happy about that because they considered me to be so level headed and were sure that I would be a check on many of her impulses. We were actually quite different personalities, but we complemented each other. We could talk about anything and often did! She laughed at my foolishness, and I cautioned her on her recklessness. She was out to save the world and I was still trying to figure it out. She was always into mischief, and I was always too cautious. We shared many secrets that we told no other friends... including her illness.

I haven't thought about her in a while, so I guess it was time. She must have something on her mind to have triggered that memory in me again. Perhaps she is once again laughing at some foolishness of mine. I still miss her.