The phone rings, the answering machine responds, I hear my beloved friend’s voice, but I know that she is not at home.  You see, I am calling to inquire about her physical condition that prompted her admission to the hospital several days prior to the new year.  The fact that her husband is not answering the phone tells me that he is probably still at her bedside.  Having experienced a reaction to her most recent chemotherapy treatment, she is in an unconscious state.  Memories flood my mind as I recall her kindness as a friend