I just learned that an old friend died.

[Anonymous]

OP, I am close to your age and the same thing is starting to happen - someone calls me and says remember so and so, they died. It's very sad but know that you did have a true friend for a long time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry Op. I googled an old love (mostly friend) from high school to find his obituary pop-up. And the news was several years old. He died at 45 leaving a wife and 2 young kids (I never met) I had known his father, so I wrote him a note. He appreciated it and called me. We talked and told stories. I probably hadn't spoken to his father in 20 yrs before that. But I'm glad I made contact

That is really a very nice gesture. It was probably appreciated more than you can imagine.

[Anonymous]

My best friend from high school died in 2013. We had been reunited on Facebook and through phone calls but I hadn't seen her in decades. And then she was gone. I was surprised by how very deeply this affected me. I cried and was very sad for a very long time - I think my "young heart" was broken. I'd certainly seen many photographs of her in the recent years but all of my memories of her were as a girl - beautiful and brave - a real "hippie chic" from the late 60's. I am once again tearing up thinking of her.

I am so very sorry for your loss, OP. I understand.

I'm reminded of that old James Taylor song:

"I've seen fire and I've seen rain/ I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end/ I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend/ But I always thought I would see you again..."

[Anonymous]

I am sorry, OP.

[Anonymous]

Oh, OP, I am so glad I found your post. Last May a dear and wonderful friend from high school died and I was absolutely heartbroken. He was a great buddy in high school and I loved him. We both went off and had lives and then, through the magic of the internet, we reconnected and picked up where we left off! He was such a joyful man that every email, text, phone conversation and visit just filled me with happiness and gratitude that I found him again. Although our relationship was never romantic, we did half-jokingly talk about getting married. He used to say he'd never see me as anything but a sixteen-year-old girl so he would be the perfect guy to get old with!

I can tell you that I am still grieving for him. I still have to stop myself from calling him. I miss him so very much.

OP, I am so very, very sorry for your loss. And there has got to be an after-life as my relationship with my friend is not ready to be over yet. We have so much more to talk about.

[Anonymous]

So sorry. Praying for you.