James is here
My niece, Christina, flew in last night and we called James at lunchtime today. He’s had a really hard time with Mike’s death and I’ve been letting him find his own way to deal it.
Christina thought otherwise. Being a Boyd woman, she decided James has had enough time to deal with his emotions.
“The hell with that! I didn’t fly my blonde ass here to NOT see James,” she said.
So she tracked down his work number in Raleigh and called at lunchtime, and as we were out with some of my friends tonight, he texted her to say he was here playing with the dog. She showed it to me and we were on our way home in a split second. I saw “James”and “here playing with Beasley,” and I was thrilled.
“You should’ve seen Auntie,” she told James when we got home. “She literally skipped out of that party!”
I have to admit I did. This is Mike’s best friend. This is the person who supported him both financially and emotionally as he was dying. This is Mike’s other brother.
After Mike died, we joked with Danny that we had adopted James.
“He’s your new brother and he’s our favorite now,” we said.
“Dude, you know you can’t get away now, right?” Danny said. “They’ll track you down if you try to get away. This is it.”
James said he was OK with that.
James had to deal with the death of his best friend — the man who showed him how to love other people more than he loves himself — and he’s had a hard time with that.
I didn’t expect to see him this weekend, so I was thrilled to see the text message he sent Christina.
I can’t even put into words how happy we are to see James.
I hugged him and thought for a moment I’d never let him go. He’s home with us at last. We’ll have everyone Mike loved best at the rally on Sunday.
Patient Pals & Family Friends
Life o' Mike has a new peer support program for people newly diagnosed with chronic or serious illness or with a new disability and their caregivers.
Patient Pals are people who have experience with various illnesses and disabilities, who can help someone newly diagnosed or with a new disability work through the fear, frustration, confusion and grief often experienced in the first few months.
Family Friends are there to help caregivers and other family members grow into their new role.
People with new illness or disability fare better when they have a role model -- someone who can help them negotiate their new path in life.
We need volunteers, who are asked to donate a minimum of one hour a week. Training is free and includes information on active listening, ways to help and when to know more help is needed.
And of course, we need funding.
To learn more, call Leslie Boyd at 828-243-6712 or e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com.
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