An Unexpected Friendship

I am an extremely task-oriented person. I love to chat, but if I am busy, it would always drive me crazy to have someone come and break my concentration.

Listening to someone ramble on would really irritate me as I saw new messages pop into my in-box. I had very important things to do.

Or so I thought.

There is a retired professor that lays on his death bed. I have had many conversations with him. Some were long, as we would chat in the hallway about D.C. or whatever else. Sometimes he would stop by when I was really busy, and I would be polite. However, I would feel that I needed to hurry up and get back to work.

For what?

One of the last times we spoke, I stopped paying attention to me and paid attention to him. He had some fantastic ideas that I thought sounded absolutely wonderful. I listened. I enjoyed his company and all the wisdom he was always ready to share.

I never knew our short friendship would end so soon.

I mailed him a card today. I told him that he had impacted my life more than he would ever know.

You see, there's a lady at work. She, too, often rambles. I would often be too busy to pay her enough attention, as I felt that I needed to work on a press release or the web site. We would chat briefly, and that was that.

She and the professor were very close friends. She is very sad now. Yesterday, I stopped by her office to talk to her. I know I will be the one to write the obituary. I will be the one whose words memorialize this man. However, it is she and others who truly knew him best. I wanted to hear what she had to say. I wanted to know what could be found beyond a C.V.

We talked, she cried, we hugged.

Today, she stopped back by to read me the letter she had written to her old friend. Her words were so beautiful that they brought tears to my eyes.

These two had talked for countless hours, pondering the mysteries of the universe.

She is about to lose one of her best friends. But I have made a vow to myself that I will be her friend from now on too.

This man being in the last days or weeks...or at best, months...of his life have made me realize that every person is important. I will be a better listener. I will turn away from my computer when someone stops by my office.

In the end, the work will be done. I can always finish up work another day. However, a conversation lost is not something that can be replaced.

Yesterday, someone thought she might have made a new friend. Today, when she came to my office, I made sure she knew that I cared.

And all the work I've done here just doesn't quite seem to compare to how I feel right now. Knowing that I helped someone else feel that they weren't alone is one of the best things I have ever done.