The expression on her face was one of disbelief and surprise and I realized instantly, that two years ago, I would have also reacted with disbelief and shock to hear a friend talk that way. All I could do now was to look at my old friend and laugh as I said, "They are my Dear Friends." This was followed by her statement, "You have never seen them or met them, how can you say that?" I said, well I had met a couple of them and I had seen pictures of many of them on the net.... but it really made no difference.
How do you explain to someone who has no concept of what you're talking about; the relationships of mothers who have lost a child? The deep sharing of our tragedies? How could she understand the need that we fill for each other? How could anyone ever understand the bond of friendship that says "I don't care where you live or how you live. I don't care about your ethnic group or your nationality. I don't care what country you live in or what your achievements are in life. I do not care about your past or your beliefs! What I do care about is your pain and your grief, and my pain and my grief, and our need to help each other. Our bond is based on the love of our lost children and the tragedy we all live with. But friendship from all groups of people create a bond that we all share daily. Some of my dear friends have never lost a child but choose to share my life daily out of just a bond of understanding. That is what creates "Dear Friends".
So I wanted to write this to all of my dear friends and say, Thank You for being my friend. Thank you for sharing your pain and grief with me and allowing me to share mine with you. The world may never understand this but that is fine because we understand it!!
With Love
Netta May 2000