The longtime friends who are able to walk beside you in the toughest trials are the ones who become so invaluable as your life’s journey begins to slow down. Quite a while ago, Mitzi was very candid with me about how friendships change when you have a disease like Alzheimer’s. She used to say, “It’s not like it’s contagious or anything like that, but I know it’s hard for people to know what to do.” Especially at this age when so many of her friends are about to retire, or helping to make wedding plans for their kids, or planning trips, etc. and she is in the throes of this ugly disease.
Mitzi has the longest list of friends of anyone I’ve ever known. Many of them have been lifetime or at least 30+ year, deep friendships. And she says, as often as she can, how thankful she is for all of the people who love her. It is such a tremendous testament to who she is and has been as a friend that these relationships have been so long-standing…????
