Dreams of Ireland

As long as I can remember I have dreamed of traveling and one of the places I have always wanted to go was Ireland. Another thing that had tagged along with this dream was the question: “How am I going to get to there?”

When I was in my early 40s, I had saved a bit of money, and I thought that I was finally on my way to getting to Ireland! I had started a bank account. I called my “travel fund”. Cute name I thought! One day my life partner, who was also my car mechanic, announced that my car needed a new transmission. “How much?” I asked and almost cried when he told me the amount. It was the exact amount that was in my travel fund. I thought that God had a funny sense of humor. Yeah, it was a travel fund alright, but not to Ireland. My dream was dead!

Later on, I was doing massage for a living. One client was an elderly woman in a retirement home. One day, another woman, from the retirement home called me and asked if I could talk to hear about doing massage for her as well. She also became a client and we would meet weekly at her apartment for her massage. The relationship grew into a wonderful friendship. We visited, did massage, told each other stories, she would later be one of the reason I became a storyteller. It was all so wonderful. This went on for 5 years. As time went on, she became more and more concerned about her life and how she felt that she was out living her welcome on Earth. She had lost her husband about a year or so after I met her. Although, she had family that visited and kept in touch, she felt alone and done with life. She was such an amazing person!

Two years ago, I got a phone call from her daughter that my friend was in the hospital. She was having some internal concerns and they were going to operate. I went to see her and she told me how much she loved me and knew that this was her time. She would not survive the surgery, even the doctor was not expecting her to live. But, low and behold she made it through and went into recovery at a local rest home.

I visited her at the rest home but I could tell she was going down hill. Three months later, her daughter called me and said there was nothing more they could do for her but make her comfortable. Her kidneys were failing. She had made the decision to go home and die. I was heart broken. I cared for her so much. She had become such a wonderful friend. She had encouraged me in everything I did and had been such a special part of my life. But, I would not allow myself to wish her to stay. She had told me she was ready to be with her husband and parents who had passed. At the age of 95, she felt she’d had such a wonderful life and was now ready to go.

She did pass away. I missed her so much. Her daughter contacted me and wanted my mailing address. She said her mother had wanted to leave me a little something. How wonderful I thought. I couldn’t imagine what it could be? Perhaps, her wedding photo I’d made so much fuss over? Well, time passed and I didn’t hear from her daughter. She eventually called again to get my address one more time. She said legal matters had finally be settled and on the winter solstice, I received a card in the mail from the daughter. I opened it and could not believe my eyes! It was a check! My dear friend had left me enough money to go on my trip to Ireland!!!! When I received the card, I was taking my cat to get her claws trimmed, and I said: “Miss Kitty, I’m off to Ireland!”

I could not believe what kindness this was. She had, for the last 5 years, been so kind and wonderful to me. When I called and told her daughter of my plans, she was so pleased. She said: “I know Mom would be so happy. I felt her hand on my shoulder when I wrote you the check.”

I had longed for this dream to come true but had given up on it. Life can be and usually is hard, but right there in the middle of it all, an angel can come into our lives and make an impossible dream possible. I will always be grateful to my dear friend for making dreams of Ireland come true. And, by the way, Ireland was great! – ReVonda 😀