Rosa 'Mrs Oakley Fisher' 14 October 2022

Rosa 'Mrs. Oakley Fisher' 3 November 2022

Since my Rosemary died on December 9, 2022 I have come to understand that she was the bond that kept our family together. Many in my family have gone their own way. Perhaps it could be that the younger ones are now much older and an 80 year old man (me) is simply an 80 year old man.

I find myself now, often going to the Preface, page 19 of Harold Bloom’s How to Read and Why where I read:

We read not only because we cannot know enough people, but because friendship is so vulnerable, so likely to diminish and disappear, overcome by space, time, imperfect sympathies, and all the sorrows of familial and passional life.

My Rosemary and I were together for 52 years. It is obvious it was all her doing. She had that talent. With her gone the breakup is unstoppable.

And yes, I have found in this last year that friendship indeed fades.