And we laughed

And we laughed and laughed and laughed. Over nothing in particular but everything seemed funny. That was the way of my visit with my friend Isla yesterday. She was having a particularly good day (in my estimate). I had picked her up to go for an 'outing' (as I refer to them) and she was excited to go. I do not think she recognized me (you can tell it from her eyes) but again...she seemed to sense we had connection ... somehow. Of course that is all my reasoning. She was likely just happy to 'go outside'.

We first went for a short drive as I wanted to go visit a friend's yard sale. We parked in the front and made our way to the back of their property, through a side gate with an unfinished side yard of weeds and dug up ground. I thought she was right behind me as I yelled over my shoulder to 'walk next to the fence' as it was more level. By the time I got to the back alley and had finished saying hello to my friend etc. I looked back to see her still at the front gate trying to close it. It was the kind that you flip up the metal handle and close the gate and flip it down again to secure it. She did not understand the concept. She just kept playing with it. When I realized she was still far behind me I called out to her to 'just leave it' and she stared blankly at me but followed the instruction. Then she proceeded to walk beside the house (the bumpy/dug up side) and thankfully made it to the backyard without incident!!! She was quite friendly to my friends and was actually smiling as one of the girls had a 6 month old baby in her arms. She seemed very taken with him. After deciding there was nothing there to buy we left and went for a Tim's Iced Cappuccino and then home to my place.

I brought out my board game 'Rummy-O' and proceeded to explain it. Well...she did require me to explain the same thing a number of times but I remember the same happening with me when I first learned it! Anyway, we had some good laugh. As fortune would have it, there were no blue #6 tile on the board and that was what I needed. I kept saying 'if I had a six' which she kept interpreting as 'sex' and would roll in laughter with eyes filling with water. She had a few responses to it each time and I admit I laughed till I was crying my own self!! It set her off the same way every time. She never seemed to grow tired of it. The same amount of laughter and response came from each time I looked for my missing 6!! They do say laughter is the best medicine though.

She stopped me in the middle of the game to say 'thank you' (which really surprised me). I asked 'why" and she replied "at the lodge I never really talk to anyone as they just seem to sit and stare at me. I never use my mind or have to think and this is making me do that!" We had a few comments and laughs over some gutteral noises she made about responses from the residents and proceeded once more to the game (with more explanations of the same thing). I have to admit though, I was having fun myself!

I took her home 5 minutes late for her dinner and she surprised me once again as I was signing her in. She gave me a hug and said 'guess this is what friends are for'. Admidst the confusion in her mind, she still recognized the 'friendship' part of our relationship. I told her I would definitely be back and she said "I'd like that".

Humbling? you bet. Take a look around you...there is always someone who is hurting and could use a friend. Friendship...I guess you CAN take it for granted...but then you can still polish it again like new.