The other day I read a blog post written by a mother whose young daughter has cerebral palsy and other medical complications. She mentioned that some of the friendships she and her husband had once enjoyed had ended. People grew frustrated when they were too busy with hospital visits and the like to return calls or make plans.
When you are dealing with someone who is seriously ill, you need support, but you also need space to handle things your way. Often that means you don’t have the bandwidth to meet up with pals or be a shoulder to cry on when someone else is having a bad day. As a result, friendships can fall by the wayside. The people who stick around and continue to offer their support are the true keepers.
If you have a friend who is going through a serious illness, or has a loved one who is sick, don’t take it personally if they aren’t always available. Let them know that you are always there, and put things in perspective. They may not be able to say it, but that kind of support means so much.