I met a friend in the building that I was living in before moving in 2013. A lady in her 90’s, but living alone in her apartment for over 30 years, and she used to love her place.

Even though she was the only one alive in her family all her siblings were gone but she was a lively woman full of energy.

 She was on the 4th floor and I was on the first floor the opposite side of the building, and I remembered hearing somebody playing the organ and it was her but I did not know her at the time. But I thought that it was beautiful and I loved it.

On a warm summer day, we were sitting outside with other tenants, including her, and I started talking to her, telling her I played the violin. Then this is where our relationship began: the music was our common ground.

She had been playing music since she was 10, and I was just starting to learn the violin, but I was fascinated by what we could learn. A few days later, she invited me over to her place, and we played music together while she taught me.

We had a lot of fun and laughed. Sometimes I would call her and ask, “What are you up to?” She says with a smile: “Guess what!”  I am playing the keyboard. She played from early morning to late evening all day long; she just enjoyed it so much.

In June 2015, her condition started declining, and she was not playing too much, which was not a good sign. She never really came back into it. She said she wasn’t feeling strong enough.

Then she had to move to a residence she wasn’t too happy with, but she needed a safer place. She told me one day that when she moved, her life stopped! I used to visit her once or twice a week, we enjoyed being with each other, talking and sometimes playing music or going to a concert.

While visiting her, we were often talking and laughing about death and what is going to happen after. We were creating scenarios, such as whether we would eat or dance.

Are we going to play music, you think, Gaétane? Why not! Nobody knows, and they don’t come back to tell you.

Also, she was excellent at imitating people, and we had a lot of fun. In mid-December, I went to visit her, but I found her very sleepy and did not talk; she was still conscious. All of a sudden, she says, “That place is so beautiful, I love it.” Then she stops talking and falls asleep again.

It was the last time that I saw her at the residence, but I knew that she had one foot in the other dimension when she spoke about that lovely place.

Unfortunately, on December 19th, 2017, she was taken to the hospital because she was deteriorating quickly. I saw her the last time on Dec. 21st, 2017, before leaving for Quebec City for Christmas. She died on Dec. 28th, 2017, peacefully overnight.

Today, I certainly miss her presence, her laugh, and her wisdom, but this is what it is: we all will go one day.

Personally, our soul leaves our body when we die, but our soul and spirit remain alive; we never die!

Most importantly, it is good to keep a loving relationship with our neighbours and everyone, and to be able to help each other. After each visit, she thanked me for coming, and I was happy to be part of her life.

Happy Friendship Week,

Please,  I would love to hear from you, and share if you like it.

Gaétane
www.gaetaneferland.com

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