Systemic lupus erythematosus is a frequently debilitating disease that causes the body’s own immune system to attack its cells, resulting in cellular damage and intense pain. Many suffer from lupus each year, and while there are treatments, there is currently no cure. This has become particularly newsworthy lately because it has been revealed that a woman named Lucy Vodden, the inspiration for the Beatles’ song “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”, has been suffering from it for some time now.
Julian Lennon, musician, son of John Lennon, and former childhood friend of Lucy’s, was somehow made aware of Lucy’s illness, and contacted her to offer his friendship. He has been communicating with her via text messages, and has sent her care packages including vouchers for gardening supplies, as gardening is a loved hobby of Lucy’s.
It’s wonderful that a friendship can re-emerge decades after its fading away, even if the reason for its resurgence is a sad one. At this point, the two of them were essentially strangers to each other, yet Julian had the wholeness of heart to reach out to someone in need and re-establish contact.
This is something we can tell our children: We don’t know what the future holds in store for us. People come and go in our lives, and we don’t get to choose when they do. What we can do is make the most of the time that we spend with them. It’s easy for kids to get into little arguments that make them temporarily angry with each other, blowing up very tiny incidents into epic-seeming crises. The older they get, the longer it takes for a reconciliation. But it’s important to remind our kids that friendships are valuable. We don’t get to choose our family members, but we do choose our friends, and that makes them that much more important.
If you have ever had a friend, but have somehow let the relationship lie fallow, you don’t even need the excuse of a reason to try to find them again. It happens on Facebook all the time. Choose this time to reconnect. Someone out there is waiting for you to say hello, and they don’t even know it. And sometimes, that someone is you.
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