you never know

You never know what your interactions with other people mean to them.

I've been in my current building 6 months. My neighbor beneath me is infatuated with my dog, which overall is a tolerable thing since it means she doesn't get upset and the dog related noises that come from living on the 3rd floor above her.

She's in her 60's or 70's I'm not really sure. All of her family is dead, and she is always alone any time I see her. Today, she told me that she had breast cancer in the past, along with a mass in her uterus and so has had lumpectomies and a hysterectomy. Her cancer has come back. She is refusing chemo and radiation.

What was the point of her telling me all this?

She asked if I would spread her ashes somewhere in the natural wilderness that Dusty and I enjoy. Since I have to pass by her door every time i go up or down the stairs, we cross paths occasionally, and Dusty loves anyone who gives him genuine attention. This request came as a complete shock to me, but in a way it is a very humbling feeling. Living alone and being single... I have learned that what I really want in my life is a witness to my human experience. In most cases, you don't find someone willing to venture in your life journey to that degree unless they are a significant other. So, in most cases the two situations are linked together as causal.

This gave me a lot to think about as I walked 9 miles this afternoon.