Friends

My son just called from college.

"Mom can you do me a favor?"

Sigh, "What?"

"Can you tape the Villanova game for me tonight?"

"Why? Aren't you going to watch it?" My son and his friends all "bleed Villanova Blue," so I wondered what could possibly keep him from watching the game, especially on a Friday night.

"No, I was kind of in the hospital all last night."

"WHAT??? Are you okay? What happened???"

"I'm fine it was my friend - he was having seizures."

My son's friend, Matt, spontaneously started having seizures last night. My son is halfway through his EMT training, so Matt's roommate raced to get him. My son quickly recognized that this was beyond him and they immediately called the EMS squad, who took Matt to the hospital. The doctors were able to stabilize him, thank God. My son and a few other friends spent the night in the hospital waiting room. Matt's parents are having a hard time getting a flight from their home in Belgium, because of the weather. The boys are taking turns staying at the hospital with Matt, until his parents arrive.

The devotion of this group of friends, who only met last September as freshman, deeply touched my heart.

It brought to mind another group of friends, also met last September. A wonderful group of friends, trusting enough to share their joys, their sorrows, their lives and their souls. Yes, you, my friends. I have been away for a long while, mostly taking care of my tiny but growing business - change of season means new jewelry styles and colors to put together. But my son and his friends reminded me of the value of friendship and how we need to be there for one another. In this I have been remiss, as I have not been there to cheer you on, empathize, laugh or cry with you. I will try to "catch-up" with all of you, little by little, and I will try to be a better friend.

My next post will not be so long in coming. As a matter of fact, it might even involve a lightbulb. . .or two!

Addendum: Still no news on Matt. His parents arrived over the weekend and he has been undergoing tests. They don't have a cause yet. He was able to talk by Sunday. I was speaking with a friend yesterday. Her 22 year old son had seizure disorder when he was a toddler so she has done a lot of research in the area. She said there are certain "thresholds" in life for seizure disorder - turns out onset is very common at 18 years old. I'll let you know if I find out more.

Addendum 2: I am happy to report that Matt is out of immediate danger. He is still in the hospital, but in a regular room, not ICU. He was put on lots of meds to control the seizures and is still undergoing diagnostic tests. He did visit the dorm over the weekend to say hi to everyone and my son said he looked much better.