The Situation Just Got Real.

"We just wanted to let you guys know that Bill has Cancer." As I stared off into space my mom continued to talk and explain all the things the doctors had shared with us. But then something happened. Something that I think about every day. The husband's eyes teared up and he shook his head as if to say no, that he didn't want to hear  anymore and that he was angry with what my mom had just said. Then he got up, left the room and the rest of us sat there wondering what had just happened.
I replay that moment in my head every single day. And every day, it makes me cry. Every day I try to make sense of it, but I never can. The only conclusion that I come to was that it was a beautiful display of anger. It was real and it was raw. It left us all in shock, it made things awkward. No one knew what to do. I remember looking at my dad and seeing his face. Looking upset, like he was helpless. Knowing his friend was hurt but not knowing how he could possibly do anything. The situation was real. It wasn't going to go away no matter how much we wanted it to. I think he also knew his friend had left out of true love. We had seen a lot of people cry with sadness but I think this is the first time we saw someone react out of love and anger at the same time. Saw someone truly breakdown in disbelief and respect. It's rarely seen and hard to explain. That's why I still think about it every day. It's like an image I saw recently of Mike Brown's father at his funeral. Hands in the air, screaming with tears rolling down his face. It was a moment of raw heartache that gripped me. But in the instance with our friend, it wasn't just an image. It was real life.
A little while later our friend returned, composed, and apologized with fresh tears in his eyes. From there the conversation began again and my parents shared what all they knew while the couple sat there and listened with support.
I know it sounds crazy but I'm thankful for his display of anger. It shook me then, and still does now. It wasn't a moment where someone tried to be strong and keep it together. It was a moment of weakness. A breakdown. A display of love. It was refreshing. It was confusing. It was a moment that I will never forget.