Real Scary Stories: The Importance of Friends

 

We all have friends, some more than others.  We talk to some of our friends every day. Other close friends can go for years without being in touch, but when they reconnect, it’s just like no time has passed. When we get to the point where we live alone, friends are more important than ever, not just for commandry, but to help keep us alive.

 

I’ve known three people who would not have lived if friends didn’t come to their rescue. Vicky lived alone, and when she went to walk in the park across the street from her home, she fell and broke her hip. Amazingly, she laid in the park for over 8 hours, much of that time unconscious. People must have walked by and ignored her thinking that she was just a sleeping, homeless old lady.  When she was conscious, she cried out for help, but no one stopped. Finally, a friend of hers recognized her and called an ambulance.

 

Mary went to play bridge one night with friends. One friend gave her a ride home and dropped her off in front of her house before she drove away. Mary opened her automatic garage door, and when she was walking in underneath it, the door malfunctioned and came down, trapping her underneath it with a broken hip. Her friend who was on her way home said she had a feeling that something wasn’t right, so she returned to Mary’s house and called for help when she found her.

 

My mother, who lived 50 miles away, came to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with us. We had a great time and went shopping while she was visiting. She bought a new electric blanket because she said at night she got so cold since Daddy had died. Mom had played bridge on Tuesday mornings with the same group of friends for over 50 years. The Tuesday after Thanksgiving, mom didn’t show up for their game, so her friends called the business that mom owned that was close to her house to have someone check on her since she didn’t answer the phone. They found her on the floor of her bedroom where she had been since Sunday night when she fell trying to put that new blanket on her bed. She was still alive and had not broken anything, but she was dehydrated and disoriented and had to be hospitalized. Had her friends not called when they did, she may not have lived.

 

These stories terrify me. I do not tell them to scare you but to remind you of the importance of human contact especially when you live alone. Don’t isolate yourself. Find people to talk to on a regular basis. Find activities to do with friends. And always keep your cell phone with you to call someone if you need help. If yoi don’t live alone, be sure to keep in contact with friends who do.

 

Keep in touch with your friends. Develop your own Ohana, the Hawaiian word for family. Find ways of being together on a regular basis like sharing meals, playing games, or volunteering to do something you all enjoy. Life is so much better when shared.