The Importance of Hugs

A friend told me today she’s headed to Florida for eye surgery. A while back, while reading, she began to see small distortions around letters in random words. Then, a few weeks after that, some letters would disappear entirely. The ophthalmologist diagnosed her with VMT. I’ve known her a long time. Used to work with her. Many years ago she hooked up with another friend and co-worker of mine. They’re a good couple. I asked her how serious this was. She said it was pretty serious. We talked a bit longer in the lobby of the credit union before she went her way and I mine. I regret not giving her a hug. I should have given her a hug.

Last week I was at the table in our dining room sipping espresso thinking about the upcoming visit of our great nephew, Caleb (this Saturday!). Something – I forget what – came to mind and I thought to text my sister (Caleb’s grandmother) about it. In it, I mentioned how unseasonably warm it was in Alaska and “Oh, isn’t it too bad Caleb isn’t coming this week. But hey, no reason you shouldn’t come now, and why not, you could stay the weekend —  I’ll buy you dinner!”

Sister lives in Wisconsin.

I mentioned it to Happy Wife as she prepared our breakfast, asking if it would be okay if sister came on the spur of the moment, and she’s says, of course it would, but it’s not like she’s going to say yes and come. We shared a hearty laugh – Haha.

Minutes later my phone rings.

It’s sister. “I can be there Saturday, early morning. Direct flight from Minneapolis. I’d return Tuesday. Were you serious?”

Seriously?!

Yes, seriously. Better yet, she calls back just minutes after HW and I have had a chance to process this and start laying plans and says, “Wait, I can leave Minneapolis tonight, 11:00 PM. Be there at 2:00 AM, ‘kay?”

O’tay!

And so it came to pass we picked up her up at Anchorage International, schlepped her back home, hack-sawed the lock off her carry-on (Sisters, I’m tellin’ ya…), managed a few hours of sleep, shopped the Saturday market for seafood and vegetables, and then whisked her off to our Nest on the beach in Seward

The weather, you see, did not disappoint

If anything, HW was displeased with the SEARING SUMMER HEAT. About 76 degrees or so, if I recall correctly.

To cool off we tottered over to Chinooks for drinks and a selfie

 Back in Anchorage it was dinner out (my treat, as promised)

and the next morning – Poof! – she was gone, back to America.

But we’d hugged the night before. I remember it clearly, we hugged. You may think that’s an awfully long way to travel to and from just for a hug. You’d be right it’s a long way, and wrong it’s too far for a hug.