Memories of Margo

From first glance, my friend Margo and I seemed like two people who would not travel the same path in life. I first met her when I was eighteen and she was thirty-five. Margo was always very matter-of-fact about life. There was nothing hidden about her. I tended to be quieter and reserved in a lot of ways. Margo had experienced life, and my life was just beginning. As I got to know her, I discovered she had Multiple Sclerosis. She often commented that she did not know what the future would bring. She knew at some point down the road she may very well be in a wheelchair or incapacitated in some other way. I admired her bravery and knew if I were in her place, I couldn’t be that strong. Margo lived her life with zest and experienced what she could. I was saddened when she and her husband moved to Montana. We never lost touch and wrote and called one another regularly. After talking to Margo, I always felt so upbeat and good about life. Not once did she ever curse life for the hand she had been dealt. She was never angry or bitter about anything. She cherished each day and always looked at the glass as half full rather than half empty.

I was able to visit Margo when she was still ambulatory. With the use of crutches and a wheelchair, she was still mobile. In later years, her health made a turn for the worst. She became housebound and was not able to leave the house much, except for medical visits. I noticed towards the last years of her life, she was very philosophical. She would always tell me how fortunate she was to have her husband and how happy she was I had met mine. She told me to pull out my china and crystal more than a few times a year and enjoy it. She said to hire a housekeeper so I could spend more time with my husband and savor life. 

With the creation of e-mail, Margo and I were able to stay in touch on a regular basis. The internet and e-mail had opened up a whole new world for Margo. Not an e-mail went by where we didn’t mention how dear our friendship was and how much we cared about the other. Before I knew it, twenty-five years had passed and I was now in my forties and Margo was now in her sixties.