Listening Dinner

I had dinner with my friend and his wife recently. He and I are both suffering from health problems and while I bitch and complain more – he is suffering more but is more patient. I just have never been one for silently dealing with things.

The minute I have an issue, my first thought is, “Which friend can I call?” Shukur, I have a lot of good friends and when I call, they are there to support me.

I think I did a bad job of supporting them though. I was so caught up in trying to fix all of his health problems (yoga – and no, I don’t do yoga myself) that I don’t know if I listened.

So I left for the U.S. and am thinking that perhaps I should have done less. Listened more. Sometimes I go into overdrive, trying to make people laugh. When maybe I should sit and listen instead. I just so desperately wanted to fix everything.

Or maybe I listened enough? I don’t know. I did the best I could. I also loved, loved his wife and his daughter. So happy to have finally met them, what a blessing they all are, shukur. Do y’all ever have that? Meet people and then think, wow, they’re so cool. But not in an intimidating too cool for school way. More in a “wanna be my best friend way and can I make you a friendship bracelet” way. I should go get some thread - I bet I can still make those bracelets.

And his wife and I are both obsessed with Atiq Rahimi – check out his new book. They bought it for me and I love love love his writing. His first book, “Earth and Ashes” haunts me still.

Did y'all notice that I know how to hyperlink now?