Friendships and Old Knees

  I know this is about being young and fun, but growing old has it's advantages too.  I met up with a friend with whom I worked for over 10 years. She retired at the end of last year, and gosh I miss her!
She was someone I could talk to, more than just someone I worked with.  We became almost like sisters and as the only moms in the office we shared a lot of joys and sorrows between us.
  We met today to have lunch together because we haven't been able to connect since she retired. We had a lot of catching up to do which included some happy events going on in our lives, me talking about my granddaughter growing up and expecting another one this fall, she talking about her grandchildren heading off to high school. And we shared some health news, me nursing a bad knee that will eventually have to have surgery (darn those kneelers in church!!) but she is facing a scare with the big 'C' word.  Your world really bottoms out when that words enters a conversation.
  I've been worried about my own sister who is also fighting the big C right now.  These later in life scares are not fun.   They tend to grab your attention and not let go. You wake up and go to sleep with worries.
  Our Lord tells us not to worry and yet, every day it is such a fight to not begin the race down the trail of terror which leads us into an ever darkening, deep forest of tall menacing looking trees and undergrowth that catches your foot and trips you. It's not until you suddenly remember you have a light in your pocket and you click it own and finally find your way out that you can breath again.
  Christ is our light when friends tell us bad news, such as they have cancer or when a family member is fighting unknown forces of disease.  Christ is there walking beside us reminding us to lean on Him and not be afraid.  Afraid?  Good golly the older you get the more scary life is!  But everyone of every age knows that. I don't think I can look back at a certain age and say, oh I was never afraid of anything then.  There was always something that gave you the creeps, made you pull up your bed covers at night or pray Matthew, Mark, Luke and John bless the bed that I lay on, four corners of my bed, four angels round my head. Keep me safe till I awake.  I was always afraid of the devil and now he comes sneaking into my conversations with friends trying to shake my confidence of living to a ripe old age or having friends and family live that long too.
  But my friend and I talked and I was reminded that this was truly what life was all about. Having friends, not forgetting those friends when life takes you in different directions.  God invented friendships to help each other stay out of that dark forest or at least to be another hand to hold while walking walking through them!
  I miss working with my friend and wish we had more time to sit and talk together. But remembering to stay young at heart, fun at heart and being thankful for my Catholic faith which helps me fight off the taunts of the devil, and helps me remember to give my worries to God and put the lives of all my loved ones in His hands helps me get through the scary times.  Even if I blame my worn out knees to too much praying and kneeling I can laugh.  It was worth it. I have worn out my knee doing what I know will help me get through all the fears in this life of getting older. I can still be young and fun and Catholic by never forgetting to pray!