I think we all have days like this.  There are happy moments and sad moments; some that come from outside factors and some that come from within us. The mind is a very powerful thing and frankly I think the mind totally drives the body’s bus. I have been somewhat blue these past 5 days and I am feeling the affects.

I spent the day in Manhattan today.  Donald and I drove into White Plains, went to the office and then caught the 10:05 to Grand Central.  I love the city and I miss it very much.  Sometimes the anxiety of the tunnels or the 43 floor elevator ride gets to me and then I see that view and I breathe a little easier. It is a fantastic city.

The walk from Grand Central to the Time-Life Building was somewhat uneventful this time. That doesn’t mean that we didn’t pick apart the various outfits in stages of undress walking the streets. If Donald and I even remotely picked up the dress code of our fellow Gotham citizens, we may have gotten arrested or better yet, sent to Bellevue for evaluation!

My professional life has afforded me with the benefit of forging life long friendships.  Today, I had lunch with one and a ‘drive by hug’ with another.  Both of these people have had tragedy in their lives and are still dealing with some form of stress and health issues today. The friend I had lunch with saved my life by introducing me to her oncologist at Columbia when I was dealing with breast cancer and facing surgery.  She was strong and confident and so supportive that I knew I would be ok… and I was. Today she is a breast cancer survivor and is now dealing with another health challenge.  It is scary and she is facing surgery once again this month.  I can tell her it will be OK and I can pray for her but I cannot make it better.  I hugged her very closely and I hope she felt my love and friendship come through.  The results of the MRI should be in by week end. I believe, honestly, that it will be ok.

My ‘drive by hug’ friend is a wonderful, funny, warm and intelligent man.   He recently lost his wife to illness and has been quite blue.  He told me today his cat died and although the story of finding poor Sparky dead in the kitchen and the group cremation he selected because Spark was friendly cat was very entertaining.  My heart broke for him.  This comment was not lost on me.  He said to Sparky that he was sorry and wondered if Sparky was sad because he too was sad.  I am sorry my friend.  Once again I can tell him it will be OK and I can pray for him but I cannot make it better.  I hugged him very closely and I hope he felt my love and friendship come through. He will be ok, I know it but it will take time.

Now on a lighter note.  After we left Junior’s cheesecakes with a yummy plain cheesecake, café lattes in hand and a cookie for the train ride home, we headed to Track 23 for the train home.  We have time to spare and we pick a seat facing each other. (I never mind riding backwards). We are minding our own business when out of the corner of my eye, I see a man, professional, in a suit and tie waiting for the train to leave.  I thought to myself, “odd, no reading material, no one to talk to.” Ok whatever. (The following is a true story, no embellishment)

Slowly he begins to put on a pair of black gloves, the heavy duty kind.  Then he reaches into his briefcase and takes out about a 6 foot piece of rope.  I’m thinking to myself this is not good.  The train is moving and we are on it…no turning back. He begins to tie knots in the rope. Over and over again, knot-unknot-knot-unknot.  I look at Donald with the hi-sign to turn around and now I can see he is thinking what I’m thinking.  Oh sh*#!

Suddenly he whips the rope onto his leg and binds himself with the rope with variations of knots that would make an Eagle Scout proud.  I starting to laugh now, nervous laughter and his hand is under his left chest pocket.  He is super intense.  Suddenly he dismantles the rope, removes the gloves and tucks them away, neatly. Is he done? Is he ok?

We got to White Plains and booked it off the train.  I did not hear anything on the news so perhaps it was karma returning a favor to me for helping the tourists find Rockefeller Center this morning.  I believe my friends will be ok. I believe that laughter is truly the best medicine and I really hope no one was making fun of ME on the streets today and is sitting somewhere in the tri-state area typing a blog about it!