I have a wonderful friend who is battling brain cancer. She had a second malignant tumor removed last week. She came into my life about six years ago when she moved next door. Since then we've shared a lot – including several years of hour-long walks every morning through our neighborhood and the adjoining ones.One gets to know a person through and through on walks like this. Her history, her joys, her hopes, her fears. I learned that she had actually developed a list of 100 things she wanted to see and do before she died and she was methodically keeping track of her progress. Although many people talk about such things, almost no one ever does it.
Last fall she bought the dulcimer she has always wanted to play.
Life hasn't been the same this past year as she has struggled valiantly to overcome one of the worst nightmares that anyone will ever face.
I gave up walking when she couldn't walk with me but, this week, I made myself go alone. As I was walking along the sidewalk in the early morning, I suddenly realized I was walking down a path of brilliant diamonds sparkling in the sun. Although they were only tiny sparkles of light and had no monetary value whatsoever, they were as beautiful, or more so, than any diamond gemstone. No matter how fast I walked, there they were – spread out in front of me as far as my eyes could see. It was a vision that could never be captured with a camera or in a painting - sheer beauty in a concrete sidewalk.
I am hoping with all my heart that, one day, my friend will be able to walk with me again. Meanwhile, I have realized that taking one more walk with her along an ordinary sidewalk that the sun has turned to unexpected diamonds would be more precious than anything to me.
