How Long Is the Present?

A visit with a childhood friend made me realize I’ve reached the age of reflection

Image by Walter Rhein (original artwork by his daughter)

Charlie, one of my dearest classmates from high school, wrote to tell me he had stage three cancer. I don’t know what that means. I don’t want to know. Fortunately, he didn’t tell me until he was already on the mend.

“Don’t worry, I’m better now, I’m even running again.”

That was a kindness. He provided me with the sense of urgency that makes you stop putting off plans, but spared me the anguish of what he’d been through.

I’m young enough that this is the first message I’ve received like that, but old enough to know that this is only the beginning.

Yesterday, I sat down with Charlie’s family to eat dinner. We happened to be in town, and I said, “Let’s meet at the Mall of America.” He showed up with his wife and his two kids and we went to a place called the Rain Forest Cafe. It was like a restaurant from Disney World. It had animatronic animals.

I had a big smile on my face the whole time we were together. It was like a free vacation. We just waved our wands and made it happen. There was no planning other than the need to get together, and it all worked out perfectly.