Valentines Expressions

(Glass sculpture from www.frabel.com)

Happy Valentines Day to you all. It seems like it's an occasion people either love or hate. I think it's kind of a cute little holiday; some years I participate, others I do not. Not much going this year, so I'll tell you a story about last.

I have a close friend that I call Evelyn. His name isn't really Evelyn, but when I forgot what it was after the first time he told me, he refused to tell me again. I dubbed him Evelyn, then, finding it a perfect name for a brawny biker/construction contractor. Evelyn lives about 3 hours away, but we still manage to get together for lunch, art shows, antiquing, and riding now and again.

Last year, on Valentines Day, Ev sent a text message on my cell phone: "Happy VD" I returned "right back atcha" and went about my day.

A few hours after that, Ev took a fall from a rooftop of a house he was working on. He broke his neck, shattered his wrist, and broke his leg very badly, in addition to slicing holy hell out of his scalp on a deck railing on the way down. Some confusion about the 911 district he was in caused a 45-minute delay in the ambulance's arrival.

February 14 marks a different occasion now, for him, for me, and I'm sure, for all that love him and nearly lost him a year ago. Though he'd get all embarrassed and say it was nothin; the last year has been harrowing for my friend Ev. He has, I know, endured excruciating pain, tough physical therapy, and physical and mental exhaustion.

And he won't get it when I tell you all that in the midst of this all, he still managed to be a rock in my life. I can hardly wrap my mind around that while he was graduating from a wheelchair to a walker, to a cane, with pins in his hip, he still managed to send me notes expressing support when I was missing and worrying about Brian when he was in bootcamp. And he rejoiced along with me when he graduated.

He listened to every damned drama I endured in my life, be it family, men, work, money, cats or imaginary. Sometimes he laughed at me, sometimes he laughed with me, and sometimes, if I needed it, he scolded me. And there were plenty of days he put a little wind beneath my wings. Tsk. Can you imagine?

So, at his probable utter horror, My Valentine's Blog is dedicated to my strong, quiet friend, Evelyn:

Friend, I imagine this may be an bittersweet day. You are, as always in my thoughts, and I'm giddy that you're here today to read this. Your strength and selflessness amaze me, thanks for being my friend, you know I love you.

Oh. And Happy VD.

Boop!