Love the One You're With

Love the One You’re With

“And if you can't be with the one you love, honey, love the one you're with…”(Stephen Sills)

I’m pretty sure this song had a more secular meaning, but I see something more to it.

I had to have cataract surgery recently.  This was something that needed to be done as early as last August 2023, but when Frank’s health began deteriorating so rapidly, I had to postpone it.  My friend, Sue, graciously agreed to take three days out of her life and accompany me for the procedure.  I was having both eyes done, back-to-back, the right eye on Wednesday afternoon and the left eye on Thursday afternoon.  We got a hotel room for two nights and in between procedures, had a wonderful time together.  We shopped, ate out, talked, and laughed.

How rude would it have been if during our time together I kept saying, “I wish Frank was here to do this with me”?  How insignificant and diminished would I have made my friend feel?

Sometimes unknowingly and unintentionally this is what happens when we are missing someone.  It’s very easy to make the ones we are with believe we’d be happier if we were with the one who is missing rather than them.  Even in our grief, let’s be mindful of our words.  Let’s be careful to not add “sorrow upon sorrow” and let’s be intentional in our gratitude for those who are still with us.  Let us “love the ones we’re with!”

Thank you for “giving me a minute.”