The Emotional Tale of a Friend for 50 Years Having a Heart Attack

When I was younger, I found a friend that I knew was special. We got to know each other, and we had disagreements, and even got into a fight once. But because we had that fight, we learned a lot about our friendship. We learned that we are 2 different individuals, because we had thoughts about the same subject, but understood that values doesn't only go one way. From that point on, we both said we are sorry, because when it comes down to it, a friendship is worth more, then anything else. We played in little league together for 4 years. I was the pitcher, and he was my catcher. It was something special, as he was my battery mate. He even cached a perfect game I threw, when I was 10 years old. We continued our friendship , and end up working at the same place in Brooklyn, at a local delicatessen.

We had so much fun, as at the end of the night, when we stocked out the pickles, we just was zany, as we had pickle fights, and throwing at each other. We made enough money doing this for 2 years, when we both decided to visit Florida for the first time. I was 17 and he was 16. I forgot to tell you, that his birthday is the same day as mine. One year later, we decided for the summer, to be Camp Counselors at a sleep away camp upstate New York. We helped children have a wonderful summer, and we were both appreciated for our work, and to show all a friendship, that is truly special. That summer, my best friend met a woman called Leslie, and I kept our friendship close as possible, as he got involved with her, and got married seven years later at the age of 25.

I got involved with a few other friends I met from the camp, and sadly my best friend and I parted ways for 2 years. We met one day at a bowling alley, and I told him I am sorry for feeling jealous of his marriage. He also told me he was sorry, as he was as much to blame for our friendship not being close,during those 2 years apart. We rekindled our friendship from that point forward, and never looked back. I ended up getting married to my first wife a few years later, and he was my best man. I moved to Florida in 1980, and stayed married for 18 years, until my values as a husband was not there any more. I wasn't happy as my first wife didn't care about being a mother to my first child called Melanie. Today this brilliant girl, lives in Washington DC, as the copywriter to Dow Jones..

Well it was a bitter divorce, as my first wife was to negative, and she wanted to commit suicide, and leave her own daughter.She said I am not a mother. Well she is still alive, but we don't talk about our daughter. Moving along, as we had visits from my best friend Harvey every few years, and we went to Disney World a few times together in the ages. We talk baseball, and hockey over the phone every few weeks, and he came down to Florida and met my new wife Elizabeth. This may, my new marriage is going on 15 years, and I understood at that point, what a true friend meant. We are still friends going on our 51st year, and this friendship, despite all conditions, is staying as close, as any friendship could be.One week ago, I got a call from Harvey's wife, and told me that Harvey had a heart attack, and is in ICU.

When I heard this devastating news, I cried for hours, as part of me was being torn away from my heart. The next day, I took a flight, despite not having funds, and went to the airport to plead with them to let me go. Out of the blue, I got a call from my friends brother Bruce. He knew my situation was very bad, not only because of my Parkinson Disease I have since 2007, but because of my heart and soul meant so much for his brother, on our friendship, and the desire to always be there for each other, regardless of all obstacles that crossed our path. I thanked him so much, and he said what I did for you, was for a friendship that was made by God, and we don't want to take something away from either of us. He picked me up at the airport and drove me right to the hospital, and when I saw Harvey, it was hard, as I started crying again, and had to step out of the room.

His Mother came over to me to comfort me, as she is as important to us, as she kept us together as well. He was in a Coma, which he was for 3 days. When all of a sudden, he heard my voice, and he woke up crying, as I was there for him, in time of need. Everyone was happy, and Leslie came over to me to hug me, because even his doctor told me, that it was a miracle, as thy didn't know if he was going to survive. I went down to my knees, and cried and prayed to god to thank him, from the bottom of my heart, for allowing him to wake up. He was coherent, and we hugged each other for a few minutes, and we both looked up at the same moment, to thank God once again, for allowing our dearest friendship to go on. It was 3 days later, that I had to go back home to Florida, and we knew we felt in our heart, that our life's and friendship together will go on.

I thanked his brother and mother and his wife, for allowing me to come, and allowed me to sleep somewhere, and fed me as well. The miracle of my friendship, will be deep in my soul, because God had let me live and for me to be where I had to be, when it was more important, then anything in my life, at the very deepest time in my life.

Published by David Cohen