Two college roommates each recently buried an aging parent and yesterday an old friend posted about a memorial service for a young child lost in a raging river; the length of one’s life is never guaranteed. Everyone knows that today could be the last, but sanity depends on our ability to set that aside and live with the figment of immortality – until reality smacks us in the face and we regret.
My mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on Feb 4th and was told she had about 4 – 6 months to put her affairs in order. Tonight I spoke to her on the phone about the trivial day/day stuff that good friends share, and I realized how grateful I am for one more day. One more day for one more phone call, one more chance to share her burden, one more chance to record all those recipes. I will never accept that cancer is a blessing, but it has blessed me with a gift that many never get - one more day.
One more day for her grandson to capture her testimony and blessing on video tape to be handed down to the next generation; One more day for her granddaughters to visit despite years of a dysfunctional family relationship; One more day for my father to move ever so slowly towards accepting that he will soon be parted from his best friend of … well a lifetime. And one more day for me to express my gratitude for the heritage I’ve been given – while she can still hear me say “thank you.”
What are you grateful for today?
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