My sense of time is all a jumble. I can’t remember clearly what’s happened on what day since I’ve been here.
But I’m pretty sure that was the day that I found out that my aunt will be bidding farewell to this life soon.
With all the complications, she’s chosen to let it all run its course with hospice care.
So we spend a good chunk of the day cleaning out one of the rooms in my other aunt and uncle’s house in Payson getting everything ready for the hospital bed and all of the hospice care stuff.
I think it’s going to be tomorrow that she’ll get moved over. I had a great conversation with her today this morning.. I think it was, anyway. Man, my internal clock is not anywhere near accurate feeling right now.
Despite where we all know this is headed, she actually looked really good today. Totally lucid, talking like normal, eating.. it was great.
But knowing that this is the last hurrah, the family is beginning to gather from different parts of the country. It’s wonderful to see cousins and aunts and uncles that I haven’t seen for so long. It’s also hard because of what’s bringing us all together.
But we get to celebrate the life of somebody who means so much to us, sharing memories and just… Enjoying each other and enjoying the last moments we have with our aunt/sister/friend.
Lots going on in this little boy’s brain. Having thoughts that maybe my time in Arkansas is up.
Lots of thoughts.
After I got to my Provo Canyon resting spot, a couple of girls pulled in to a parking spot near me and walked over to the footbridge over the river. It was like midnight, so after a little while I decided to walk over, and they were standing on the bridge trying to get up the courage to jump in the freezing cold River.
One of the girls was doing it as sort of a bachelorette party, the last hurrah before she gets married on tuesday. The other girl was a friend of hers.
Having seen one person go into shock in that exact spot after hitting the freezing cold water, I figured I would wait until they took their plunge before I went back to my car. The girls were really grateful, the one who is getting married telling me she didn’t think she would have jumped if I hadn’t been there.
But I was there and coached her a little bit, which I think calmed her enough to make the jump, knowing that I would be right there to jump in if she needed it, and on the shore to help her get out.
So that was cool. Now they both have a fun story to tell. And I’m a little inspired by her friend who is accompanying her who was probably about three and a half feet tall and needed crutches to walk, yet she jumped in as well and swam herself to the bank.
Life can be so interesting when you’re out and about in different places at different times.
Lift the World
~ stephen
Lift the World 