Remembering Friends

When COVID-19 invaded the United States, I immediately thought of family and friends and wondered how they were doing.

Required social distancing kept us from being physically together; however, we could still connect by phone and social media.

I decided to check on some long-lost friends.

I called one friend in a nearby city.

She was doing fine. I logged on to Facebook and connected with several people whom I had not talked to in a while. They were all doing well.

The next day, I found my college alumni directory and looked up a friend who was in the same major as I was in college. I found her phone number and nervously pushed each digit. When she came to the phone, I identified myself and she said, “Who is this?” “Sylvia, we went to college together and had the same major. Do you remember me?” I asked. “No!” she replied. “OK, I’m sorry to bother you. Have a good day,” I answered quickly as I hung up the phone. I was crushed. Perhaps my idea to connect with old friends was a huge mistake! About thirty minutes later, my phone rang.

The husband of my college friend was calling to let me know that his wife was having some medical problems that accounted for her responses when I called. They found their yearbook and were now looking at my picture.

He attended the same college but was a year behind us.

He asked me some questions, and I let him know how I met his wife and shared a little about our time together in college. I admitted that we had not connected in years, and I was checking on people I had not talked to in a while.

Throughout my life, I have met tons of people and made many friends. I do not remember everyone, but I do hope that I have made a difference in someone’s life. Whatever illnesses, afflictions, or maladies we experience here on earth, I pray that we can say like Job, “I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth” (Job 19:25, KJV).

Sylvia A. Franklin