9-10 Friendship isn’t always knowing someone.

So, yesterday, I got a call that surprised me to say the least. It was from someone I know I haven't talked to in months...several several months. It wasn't even someone I really even knew. It was an acquataince that I had met only a handfull of times, and really didn't even know her last name. I was shocked but pleasantly surprised to hear from her. Except, I knew why she was calling and that made me alittle uncomfortable. Soon, I had to deal with the fact that she was clearly more troubled by the call that I was.
She, she had lost her husband not long after I met her. I had written her with my number to tell her that I was sorry for her loss and to please call if she needs anything. Her husband hasn't been gone that long in the grand scheme of life and I don't like a lot of people take that offer I gave her seriously enough and I think when people say "Call me if you need anything" do not ever give it a second thought when they say it too. Maybe that is why the hurting do not do it because they know it is just lip service. When she called me on Tuesday (or was it Monday?) I knew, she did. I wanted her to call me if she needed help, someone to talk to, someone to cry to, someone to just come sit in quiet. I was so glad to hear from her.
Well, she did, out of the blue and I was estatic! Long story short, she told me that it was nice to talk to someone that didn't know them very well because all she had was close family and friends and sometimes she didn't want to duel on her loss. Sometimes she wanted to talk about other things to help get her mind off something that was constantly there. I haven't had a really close loss, in the family I mean, but I kinda got it. She told me that conversations with friends / family before the death of their loved one was cheerful and always never a pause or awkward silence, and now that is all it seems to be. It was nice talking to someone that wanted to know more about where she grew up, her kids and life experiences she had. Her husband isn't talked about because he isn't here physically, but because he was there before. I just hope all of you that read this, reach out to someone that may be in need, because you never really know who that is or when they need it.