Tom is right, I had a love for the Isle that needed a firsthand visit and sure enough I fell for it deeply and will be back, not only in April but hopefully as many times as I can make it. But it's not Mona's Isle herself that brought me 7k miles. Friendship is a two way street and I feel I have the best side of the road. After mutual friends in Manchester, and relative thereof on the Isle, introduced me to Tom and Barbara (via their book, music and passed on emails) I did strike up a personal email chain with both Tom and Barbara. Here has been the Treasure, the friendship that developes when you share your daily life, it's ups and downs, what you are having for tea, how the weather is, your mutual interests. Bruce and I have found the computer to be a window to this friendship but more happened than just a daily 'how are ya email'. Barbara and I share a love for all things 'bird' and specifically all things 'parrot', along with our other parrot friends, we have shared the joy of welcoming Orry to the Glassey flock. We've shared dog issues, the ins and outs of pet ownership, our love for sailing ships, stormy weather, long walks, all the things you have in a normal friendship to chat about but we do it over the computer or the phone with occasional flights across the pond. When cancer loomed it's darkness into the peaceful Glassey household many things happened on many levels, Tom is taking us along now in the blog so you can well see. However there were some weeks prior to the blog where there was a darkened aire, a questioning and unsettled sea yet to be sailed. My heart ached for these friends whom I felt close to but had never met face to face. I would joke to Tom that sight is very overrated, what comes from the heart makes it 'friendship'. We had plans, things to share, talk about, places to walk to. Was this all to be cut down now? Would we lose Tom before we had time for these things? What about Barbara? I placed myself in her shoes, felt as closely as I could what she must be facing. Tom asked would I come and I answered the only way I could, "yes, I'll come immediately". We spent that week together in their home, poor Tom was so ill he barely could rise from the bed, unable to walk with us, Barbara and I did the rounds of Skipper's favorite places and a bit of sightseeing. Our focus was always to quickly get back home to Tom. We all did the 2 hour rounds at night, sleep, wake, poor Tom coughing, tea, back to bed, all over again. There was the day when they went to Douglas for 'the news'. It was official now, cancer. I could see the looks on their faces when they came in the gate. I had tea on, I couldn't speak. Tom sat on the sofa in the darkened front room and told me, somehow it was better to just be there and hold his hand and rub his shoulder. I could hardly meet eyes with Barbara, afraid to hug her as we would both melt into a puddle. This was painful for me also but I'd have not been anywhere else. This is what I came 7k miles for. Not a holiday. I came to be there, do what I could, perhaps make that week go by faster, maybe the news would skip us because it was a special event, a visit. But it came and by this time they had already peered into the dark hole, decided they would not give in and were in the process of climbing back out already. The fight had begun, the hope was building, the sea was about to be challenged. Many friends came to rally around, I was just one who had to make a wee bit more of a journey. I am so glad I did. That two way street has enriched my life many times over. Look where we are today. Tom is Captain of his ship again, sailing her his way, Barbara is the best First Mate a guy could ever hope for, life is positive, loving energy is pouring in from near and far. Tom's new boat, Silverburn will be ready for sailing in April (weather providing) and we shall venture off into the sea. This is not the same dark sea as before, this one is full of promise, hope and life to live, and love. Friendship is made up of sharing the seas with one's mates, no matter how rough the going gets. There is always a Treasure, like a pearl it grows a layer at a time. We don't have to know the end, we have Now and Now is very good.