A friend in need

When my son was about six months old he was seriously injured. For the purpose of this post, it’s not important what his injuries were or the details of his accident. (That, and 18 years later it’s still unbearably painful to relive the event.)

As a result, a frantic drive to our local infirmary followed by a siren-blaring ambulance race to a larger, pediatric hospital was necessary.

Because of his tender age, and severity of his injuries, he was admitted and remained at the hospital for about two weeks. Fortunately for me, since I was still nursing him, the hospital allowed in-room stays for parents.

In the meantime, my husband and four-year-old daughter stayed at home, some 90 miles away.

Our son was eventually discharged and sent home, in the hopes that he would begin the long recovery and healing process. After a few weeks it was clear that he wouldn’t be able to improve on his own and he returned to the hospital for surgery and another two week stay.

During this time, my husband was virtually a single parent trying to work full-time and care for a pre-schooler. He would drive the two hours to the hospital several times a week and on weekends to give me a break, and so he could be with our son and I could be with our daughter.

He was exhausted.

A college friend and his wife – a former roommate, definitely someone my husband felt close to and had helped out on several occasions – lived in the same town where the hospital was located.

After one particularly long day at the hospital, my husband had contacted this friend asking if he and our daughter could come by to visit and have a place to get some sleep for a couple of hours before making the drive home.

These friends, people who we should have been able to depend on in this time of need, denied my husband’s request. The excuse was that the wife would be uncomfortable with my husband and daughter sleeping there. I was stunned, and hurt beyond reason. It was a simple request, something I wouldn’t think twice about offering to do for friends in a similar situation.

To this day, I can’t forgive them for turning their back on us when we needed them most.

Day 13 – 30 Days of Shamelessness: speak up about something crap that was done to you