“Here’s your drink.”
I took the cup and inhaled deeply. “Thanks. It smells great.”
“My pleasure.” He sat down beside me. “So I'm assuming I'm a friend?”
“Absolutely not,” I answered.
A confused expression came across his face. “What do you mean I'm not a friend?”
“Relax,” I said. “You're way more than a friend.”
“More than a friend?” he asked. “Did I graduate to family?”
“No, you don’t get to choose family. You're in our fellowship.”
“I’m honored… I think.” He look puzzled. “Is this a Lord of the Rings thing?”
“Cute.” I took a sip of my latte. “No, a little less theatrical. They're the people you trust the most.”
“That’s what I call a close friend.”
“Yeah,” I replied. “But the word ‘friend’ can mean different things to different people.”
“I’m still not sure I get it.”
I thought for a moment. “Well, who’s your best friend?”
He answered without thinking, “Ron.”
“And he's more than a close friend, right?”
“Absolutely, I tell him everything. He always plays it straight with me, even if it’s not what I want to hear. I do the same for him.”
“And what about me?”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Am I just chopped tofu?” I teased.
“Well,” Lee laughed, “you're my best girl friend.”
“How come?”
He answered earnestly, “Because I know you’ll be there for me no matter what.”
“And what about Gary?” I continued.
“Same thing,” he said.
“So for us, we have more than one best friend. That’s what we call fellowship. Gary and I have about a dozen people we can count on.”
Lee paused for a moment. “I guess I only have three of those people in my life.” He looked out across the park and took another drink of his coffee. “It’s funny…”
“What's that?” I asked.
“I feel like we’re closer now than we were when we were married.”
I touched his hand. “Me, too.”
“A lot of my friends don’t even talk to their ex’s.”
“Geez,” I said. “I can't imagine that. We’ve been through so much together.”
Radha with her first husband Lee, still friends more than 30 years after their divorce
This chapter is a special one for me. As we were editing it I was so aware of how important Lee is to me. I took the photo while we were visiting him on our 30th wedding anniversary in Boston. Lee was just down visiting us for a week. While he was here Radha was telling us how they were meant to be brother and sister. How cool is that! I love having him in our lives.
ReplyDeleteok. I didn't know Donna was married before. wow. not that it's a big deal...
ReplyDeleteLee is such a sweetheart! I am so happy I had this occasion to spend a little more time around him. Last summer I had the opportunity to meet him briefly, we had a nice lunch and I thought it was so wonderful that Radha and Gary visited with him and his mother. I could feel the connection between them.
ReplyDeleteHaving Lee in Florida was a blast. I really enjoyed watching the three of them be together like they are a family. He joined us and participated in Satsang (discussing the Yoga Sutras) and attended a talk Gary gave at a local school. It was like he had been here all along.
I have always believed that people are in our life for a reason. We do not always know what that reason is or what the relationship is "supposed" to be. Sometimes we try to make it something it is not. These three people are an incredible example of allowing it to happen organically and letting the beauty unfold. Clearly their friendship runs deep.