They say there are only three things certain in life. Change. Taxes. And death. And though they are an invevitable part of life, something you must experiece at one time or another, is it wrong to ignore it and just wait for the inevitable to pass?
Friday morning, I went to visit my friend Madelaine at her work, the downtown flower shop. The shop opened at 8:30, and already it was 8:38. My friend was late, which was odd, since she was one of the most punctual people I knew. Something was wrong. But what, I didnt know. My suspicions were confirmed when Madelaine called me a few minutes later.
MADELAINE: David...(sob)...?
ME: Madelaine? What's wrong?
MADELAINE: Can you do me a huge favor?
ME: Yeah, sure. Are you ok?
MADELAINE: No...just...(sob)...can you open the shop for me? Alice is in the hospital...(sob)...
ME: Why? What happened?
MADELAINE: She has kidney stones, but that's not important. I'm not coming in because...(sob)...you know Alicia?
ME: Your kinda-sorta-step-sister?
MADELAINE: Yeah...(sob).... her baby died this morning.
It was a bomb, I wasnt expecting. Alicia's baby wasnt even five-months-old. Five-month-old's just cant die like that...could they? It was a question, I knew, that wasnt appropriate to ask at such a time, nor was it one that I wanted to find out the answer to. I tuned in and out as my teary-voiced friend told her tale of tribulation, only listening to the parts where she explained how to open and set up the shop.
As I hung up the phone, I realized, as a friend, I was totally not there. I had ignored my grieving friend as she talked about her kinda-sorta-nephew's death. I couldnt imagine the pain my friend was going through and listening to her talk about death as she was in the middle of experiencing it first-hand, was hard.
I called the other employees to come in early, since I of course, didnt even work at the flower shop, and was afraid of pushing the wrong button and burning the entire place down. I mean, I'm sure, Alice, the owner didnt install such a button, but with my luck, I wasnt taking any chances.
After Adrianna and Ashley came in, all they could talk about was Alice's kidney stones and the unimaginable pain Madelaine must've been going through. I felt uncomfortable talking about the death of Madelaine's kinda-sorta-nephew, and tried changing the subject several times, but each time, the subject found me. How could Adrianna and Ashley be so comfortable talking about death as if it were just a everyday kinda thing? Maybe it was me. Maybe I was the weird one for not accepting death.
After I left the flower shop, I started thinking how precious life can be. One moment, you’re making plans, and the next, life makes its own plans for you. It’s an unexpected thing that should never be taken for granted and should be lived to the fullest. Which is why I couldnt understand my retired missionary neighbor Mrs. Deliccio's request.
Last week, Mrs. Deliccio found out that she had breast cancer. I found out after I had left the little flower shop of horror. It was one surprise, right after the other. And like my earlier surprise, Mrs. Deliccio and her husband also had a request. Spreading the Word of God for over 50 years, all over the world, the Deliccio's never had a chance to settle down and raise a family. And since the day, I moved into my house, two years ago, the Deliccio's have come to think of me as the son they never had.
And as the son they never had, the Deliccio's have asked me to be a witness, making sure that tomorrow, Wednesday, Mrs. Deliccio is of sound mind and body as she signs the neccessary papers needed to state, that should anything go wrong in the operating room, she would not want to be kept alive by way of life support. Instead, she would like to die and meet her Maker peacefully. But as the son they never had, shouldnt I speak up and say that, wanting to die instead of live is just plain insane and not normal?
For most people, when you're young, your whole life is about the pursuit of fun. Then, you grow up and learn that you have to be cautious. Life isnt as easy as you once thought it was and so you vow to make each day count. You live life to the fullest. And I wonder, when did life stop being fun and start being scary? And is it so wrong that I'm ignoring death and not giving it the full acknowledgement it needs?
Friday morning, I went to visit my friend Madelaine at her work, the downtown flower shop. The shop opened at 8:30, and already it was 8:38. My friend was late, which was odd, since she was one of the most punctual people I knew. Something was wrong. But what, I didnt know. My suspicions were confirmed when Madelaine called me a few minutes later.
MADELAINE: David...(sob)...?
ME: Madelaine? What's wrong?
MADELAINE: Can you do me a huge favor?
ME: Yeah, sure. Are you ok?
MADELAINE: No...just...(sob)...can you open the shop for me? Alice is in the hospital...(sob)...
ME: Why? What happened?
MADELAINE: She has kidney stones, but that's not important. I'm not coming in because...(sob)...you know Alicia?
ME: Your kinda-sorta-step-sister?
MADELAINE: Yeah...(sob).... her baby died this morning.
It was a bomb, I wasnt expecting. Alicia's baby wasnt even five-months-old. Five-month-old's just cant die like that...could they? It was a question, I knew, that wasnt appropriate to ask at such a time, nor was it one that I wanted to find out the answer to. I tuned in and out as my teary-voiced friend told her tale of tribulation, only listening to the parts where she explained how to open and set up the shop.
As I hung up the phone, I realized, as a friend, I was totally not there. I had ignored my grieving friend as she talked about her kinda-sorta-nephew's death. I couldnt imagine the pain my friend was going through and listening to her talk about death as she was in the middle of experiencing it first-hand, was hard.
I called the other employees to come in early, since I of course, didnt even work at the flower shop, and was afraid of pushing the wrong button and burning the entire place down. I mean, I'm sure, Alice, the owner didnt install such a button, but with my luck, I wasnt taking any chances.
After Adrianna and Ashley came in, all they could talk about was Alice's kidney stones and the unimaginable pain Madelaine must've been going through. I felt uncomfortable talking about the death of Madelaine's kinda-sorta-nephew, and tried changing the subject several times, but each time, the subject found me. How could Adrianna and Ashley be so comfortable talking about death as if it were just a everyday kinda thing? Maybe it was me. Maybe I was the weird one for not accepting death.
After I left the flower shop, I started thinking how precious life can be. One moment, you’re making plans, and the next, life makes its own plans for you. It’s an unexpected thing that should never be taken for granted and should be lived to the fullest. Which is why I couldnt understand my retired missionary neighbor Mrs. Deliccio's request.
Last week, Mrs. Deliccio found out that she had breast cancer. I found out after I had left the little flower shop of horror. It was one surprise, right after the other. And like my earlier surprise, Mrs. Deliccio and her husband also had a request. Spreading the Word of God for over 50 years, all over the world, the Deliccio's never had a chance to settle down and raise a family. And since the day, I moved into my house, two years ago, the Deliccio's have come to think of me as the son they never had.
And as the son they never had, the Deliccio's have asked me to be a witness, making sure that tomorrow, Wednesday, Mrs. Deliccio is of sound mind and body as she signs the neccessary papers needed to state, that should anything go wrong in the operating room, she would not want to be kept alive by way of life support. Instead, she would like to die and meet her Maker peacefully. But as the son they never had, shouldnt I speak up and say that, wanting to die instead of live is just plain insane and not normal?
For most people, when you're young, your whole life is about the pursuit of fun. Then, you grow up and learn that you have to be cautious. Life isnt as easy as you once thought it was and so you vow to make each day count. You live life to the fullest. And I wonder, when did life stop being fun and start being scary? And is it so wrong that I'm ignoring death and not giving it the full acknowledgement it needs?
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