Page 17 of It's Not PMS, It's You

It was my mom’s fault that I didn’t have many friends. I didn’t want to end up like her, so I did the complete opposite of everything she had done in her life.

She got married. I didn’t.

She had a child. No kids for me.

She gave up on her dreams. I gave up a social life and shot for the stars.

I still didn’t know how she could’ve given up on all her dreams and desires when she was younger. She gave up everything for my dad, including a bright future as a talented artist. Why?

Because she got pregnant.

That wasn’t an excuse.

Yes, the pregnancy was planned, and yes, I’m happy that I was born, but why did she throw everything away when I came into the world?

Anyway, three people in my life was indeed pathetic.

I definitely needed to do something to get the numbers up.

After what had just happened on the plane, I needed some perspective on what was most important in life. My career was still number one, but I was smart enough to be able to figure out a way to have a man at the same time. And I needed to quit avoiding my parents, just because I wasn’t happy with the way their lives turned out.

I still enjoyed their company and loved them dearly.

“Take care,” I said to the woman who didn’t have a care in the world. Before she could answer I turned back, curious. “Actually, I have a question for you.”

“What is it? I’ve got all the time in the world.”

“Is there another reason why you’re not in a hurry to get out of here?”

She thought about it. “You don’t buy my excuse?”

I shook my head. “I’m afraid not.”

She nodded again. “Okay, then . . . Most of my friends have moved away to a quieter life in another state. I rarely hear from them anymore or I’ve outlived them. I’ve outlived my husbandandmy daughter. Honestly, my home feels kind of lonely. While my home is my residence, it reminds me of a shell on the beach that nobody wants to turn over. It reminds me of how lonely I am when I’m there. Do you know what I mean?”

“I get it. I mean, my parents are still around, but I’ve never been married myself, don’t have any kids, and I don’t really have many friends either. I can honestly say that my home feels lonely, too.”

“But the difference is . . . you’re young. You still have plenty of time to meet a man and make new friends.”

“Everybody does—age doesn’t matter.”

I think the near-death experience definitely affected me because I would have never said that in the past. But I truly believed it now, and I wanted this woman to believe it, too.

For some reason, I didn’t want her to give up on life, even though she was a complete stranger.

“It’s never too late to make a new friend, and it’s never too late for love,” I added.

“If you say so,” the woman said, clearly not convinced.

“I’m Ruth, by the way.” I held out my hand.

She shook my hand. “I’m Judith, but my friends call me Judy.”

“Well, looks like I need to call you Judy then, becauseyoujust made a new friend. See how easy that was?”

She smiled. “We just met in the airport. I would say you’re more like a passerby or an acquaintance, not a friend.”

“Looks like we need to change that, now don’t we?”