I lost a good friend last week. We hadn't seen much of each other lately -- not for want of caring, just busy in different directions -- but I'd been sure our paths were about to cross again. Homeschool Girl has started attending Community College with two of my friend's daughters. They should be having the time of their lives, those two, and now this.
When we first met, twelve years ago, I was, frankly, intimidated by Kathryn -- she was a force to be reckoned with. (Ask any farm/school bureaucrat in the Commonwealth of Virginia!) But our daughters were quickly becoming best buddies in Sunday School, and we were a couple of homeschooling, homesteading, libertarians in a largely liberal community -- natural allies! -- and so our friendship began. Back in the day, we spent huge amounts of time at their place, the kids all playing together -- my two with the younger six of her eight -- while Kathryn and I did farm-y things like rounding up strays, dairying, fencing, and the *gulp* surgeries that even her older ones were still too young to help with (or her husband too squeamish -- heh). But most of the kids were little then, and we were just getting our homesteads going. In the intervening years, our children have grown into able, competent young people, and we've been "too busy" with our own places and projects to do much visiting. But we always meant to -- "soon" -- as one does.
And then, last Thursday, she was killed in a car accident.
So, typically for me, I've gone quiet -- how's that for ironic and stupid? You'd think I'd take a lesson away from this loss -- like "Don't take your friendships for granted" or "Live each day as if . . . something" -- maybe next week. Right now, in a world without Kathryn in it, I'm just feeling a bit lost myself.
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