I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends

When I decided to move halfway across the country last summer, I had one major concern: what would I do if something happened back home? What if an emergency required me to get home to Boston immediately? What would I do?

Last week, my worst fear came true. My grandmother passed away after a long battle with Alzheimer's.

My mother called to break the news, and as soon as I hung up the phone a wave of panic swept over me. I wanted to fly home, there was no question of whether or not I would, it was just a matter of figuring it all out. An overwhelming task.

Most airlines offer bereavement discounts, but 10% off a $500 flight with two connections didn't help much. I had just won a scholarship (DePaul's Excellence in Journalism award) worth $2,200 two days earlier and was planning on using it for school but decided I could tap into that to fly home to say goodbye to Nana.

Thankfully, I didn't have to. My friend Greg and his mom--who works for United--helped me fly home for cheap. I feel so fortunate to have had this opportunity. Their generous help made a difficult situation easier, both financially and emotionally, because I no longer had to worry how I would get home or how I would afford it. I flew standby and eventually got a direct flight home on Friday morning.

Being home was extremely bittersweet; everyone in our large family was there and it was great to see them. It was even nicer hanging out with my parents, sister and brother (who I haven't see since Christmas). And thanks to all the kind words, thoughts and prayers of our friends and other side of the family, we made it through an emotional few days.

Most of all, this emergency situation and sad circumstance showed me something very important: I have many amazing people in my life. It seems like an obvious acknowledgement, but it's something we all sometimes take for granted in our day-to-day lives. I knew I had great friends, but the outpouring of love and concern from them through cards, emails, phone calls and Facebook messages was extremely heartwarming. The support of friends, both old and new, really made a difference. Smiles were hard to come that weekend, but each message and act of kindness reminded me of how lucky I am to have so many great people in my life.

It may sound cheesy, but it's hard to put into words how loved I felt. I guess it is true, you really can get by--and through your worst fear-- with a little help from your friends.