and not so positive

With our research early in the week about survivor pensions, it was a bit of a jolt to read in a blog I follow, that the writer had just been informed of the suicide of a man with whom she had worked closely.  ( She is now retired)  A couple of days later she wrote about the funeral and her emotional reactions to things.  (She is very open about her emotions!?)  Today my friend Dianne, whom you both met at the lake, phoned to let me know her husband had died-fairly quickly after a nasty diagnosis.  I had not spent a lot of time with him, but we had corresponded via e-mail and telephone fairly often during my more active friendship with her.  Advancing age and difficulty travelling has caused the friendship to limp along over the past few years.  I had known via Facebook that he was in hospital.  Her situation is now somewhat dire.  Her rent is paid until the end of the month, but she would very much be able to move in to subsidized seniors housing before then.  I don't think she realizes how long waiting lists for that sort of thing can be.  Anyway she is facing having to make a big move, and dealing with the possessions of a lifetime, including both her stash and his.  Since she inherited both her mother's stash ( significant) and her Grandmother's ( lots and lots of moldy, dusty old textiles) this is a going to be somewhat of a challenge to her.  Just listening to her talk about the life she faces almost broke my heart.  She did not talk about the emotional loss she has experience, but it's early days yet.

Additionally, I'm reading an excellent book-"Every Breath" by Nicholas Sparks.  this is not a "romance" but rather a very inspirational novel about  a deep enduring love and the difficulties the couple experience in living, together and apart, during their subsequent lives.

Put all of this together, and I'm almost numb, but at the same time I feel a growing apprehension--not sure where that is going.