Showing Up

This is the book that came in the mail today. Despite being in the middle of another book, I started this one. (What can I say? The flesh is weak.) The first chapter reminded me of Persnicketta. The author tells about a woman who has recently moved into her town. She likes the lady, and would like to eventually become her friend. Before they have a chance to let a friendship grow, though, the new-in-town woman is diagnosed with cancer. The author has a choice to make: will she forego all the steps that go in to building a friendship, and instead just pretend like they've been friends for years, or will she run away from the suffering? This reminded me of Persnicketta because, before we were really friends, Mr.M called me one day to tell me my mysterious and intriguing new acquaintance (Persnicketta) was in the hospital. I knew what I had to do. I had to go. It was weird, us not really being friends and all, but if I didn't go, I would forever feel ashamed of myself, and I'd feel like a huge wimp. So I went. And now we're friends . . . I think. I was going to ask Persnicketta's permission to publish this, but for all I know, she may be in the Himalayas searching for Yeti, or in the Australian bush herding lizards.