I thought of him today when Yahoo's home page ran a e-news story about the widow of actor Patrick Swayze and how she still sent text messages telling him she loved him a year after his death.
My friend and his wife both have Facebook pages, and in the Fall of last year they had both gotten hooked on the "Farmville" application. (I have one too, but nothing like theirs) Since she died, he has kept her farm going. He does it because he doesn't want her dog to die. Because she had allergies they couldn't have a real dog, but the dogs had just came available on the application before she died, and she had used her credit card to get Farmville cash and purchase a special one.
After a certain point, you don't have to feed the dogs at all, but he goes on her Facebook page everyday and feeds it anyway. It's a piece of her he doesn't want to let go. I have wrote about this before, but I checked with him today, and he is still doing it.
Back in the early 1980's when we were in the Army together, VCR tapes were just getting started. One movie that we rented and made a copy of was the Clint Eastwood Classic, "The Outlaw Josey Wales."
There were times when things were difficult, and as Demolition guys who worked with explosives, we would quote movie lines to help us cope. At our scariest moments, it seemed like someone would always say, "Dying is Easy, Living is hard."
That's how we coped with our fear of dying. Living with the death of a soul mate is a pain I wouldn't look forward to dealing with, but I admire my friend for coping whatever way he can. He feeds a cartoon dog that only exists on a computer screen, because it meant a lot to his wife, and still means a lot to him.
That's Love.
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3 comments:
Not to nitpick, but the quote is "Dying is easy; comedy is hard." and is attributed to a number of famous actors including Edwin Booth, a relative of John Wilkes.
Regardless of that, your point is well made and kindly observed. I attended a funeral not long ago of a fellow my age who was so dear to his family that they said they continue to set a place at the dinner table for him and will probably continue to do so for their own comfort however silly it may seem to others.
It does represent love as well as a sincere and deep affection for those who have passed on before us.
We humans spend much time trying to avoid conflict and discomfort and do foolish things as sort of a denial of the reality of death. And yet, it shall forever be true - although spoken in a different context - "It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all."
"Dying is easy. Living is hard."
That is exactly what the GREY RIDER said because he had come to either live with TEN BEARS or die with Indian leader, who was impressed with such courage backed by words of iron.
What a great movie.
Iron -
Outlaw Josey Wales is one of the top five Westerns ever nade, if not number one. And Unforgiven is not far behind.
I never get tired of watching it.
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