The FAN 590 and Talk 640 have been replaced by FM choices like 104.5, 97.3 and 99.9. Talking heads Bob McCowan and John Oakley have been drowned out by the likes of Maroon 5, Taio Cruz and Carly Rae Jepsen.
Call it an escape, call it a diversion but supporting a dying friend is heavy business.
In her 1969 book, On Death and Dying, Swiss-born psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross outlined the five stages of grief for someone who is dying:
• Denial and isolation: "This is not happening to me."
• Anger: "How dare God do this to me."
• Bargaining: "Just let me live to see my son graduate."
• Depression: "I can't bear to face going through this, putting my family through this."
• Acceptance: "I'm ready, I don't want to struggle anymore."
What Kubler Ross didn’t enumerate were the five stages for someone supporting a friend dying with cancer. Though I’m not a psychology major (actually it was my minor back in the day), I think the following list might be helpful. Special thanks to Pi.
• Shock: “How could a tiger get on my friend’s raft?”
• Denial: “I don’t think it’s really a tiger after all.”
• Commitment: “The tiger is hungry and the raft is so small. Let me help you distract
him for awhile.”
• Sadness: “My friend can’t swim.”
• Acceptance: “Adieu my friend. I will never forget you.”
Keep praying for mon ami and his soon to be departed soul.
This is the part of me that you’re never
gonna ever take away from me, no.
Throw sticks and stones,
throw your bombs and blows,
But you’re not gonna break my soul.
But you’re not gonna break my soul.
from Part of Me by Katy Perry
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