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 |   Blog Challenge And Other Tidbits |
| An opinion or two...or three or four... |
PROMPT May 19th If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are living now? If so, what would you change and why? It's hard enough to think of time when it's limited to only one year. What to do? What to get done? When to start? How to manage? What's important? I think those questions would lay heavily on my mind. For me one year seems so short. But on the other hand it can also seem like an eternity. It's the waiting that makes it so bad. But...one year is one year. It's finite and the deadline comes whether you like it or not. Would I be happy? Would I be sad? Probably a little of both. I'd certainly work hard to make the most of every moment I had. Just like someone I know...who I knew...who I now grieve... That someone is my husband's dearest and closest friend, Neil. They worked together for just over 20 years and retired about the same time. They looked like brothers and had the same quirky personality. They were also opposites in a lot of ways, too. My husband is always on time and always prepared. Neil? Not so much. Where one went, the other always showed up. The two of them shared a bond that I haven't witnessed in a very long time. My husband loved Neil like a brother...and so did I. So when the doctor said "Pancreatic Cancer" we braced for the worst. But never gave up hope. Neil started to play golf again. He made time to travel. He saw us as much as he could. We reminisced. We laughed. We cried. But mostly we had smiles. We talked of retirement and we talked of the year ahead. Just one year...if he could make it one year then his chances were good. But just two weeks ago, right to the day, the phone rang and we had to answer. Yes, it was the call. The one that said Neil was gone. It was less than a year. "What happened?" we asked. And his wife told the story through a river of tears. To be honest we were shocked so we didn't hear much of the story. But I do remember one thing. And it's this: The day before Neil took his last breath he went out on a walk. He walked all around. He breathed in the air and he basked in the sun. He noticed the trees, the birds, the flowers. He inhaled the sweet scent of Spring. He was happy and at peace. He was ready to go. The next morning his body told him he was done. He took one final breath and closed his eyes for the very last time. I miss Neil. I grieve for him. And I grieve for my husband who lost his very best friend. The pain is still raw, and the tears still flow. It was less than a year. But I think for Neil that was okay. So if I had just one year...give or take...I think I'd spend it like Neil. I'd make sure to take those long walks. I breathe in the season. I'd bask in the sun. I'd let the wind blow gently across my face. And I'd close my eyes...knowing there would be peace. |
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