This is a picture of my friends, Kathy & her mom, Mrs. D. I love these two women. Kathy and I have been friends since both our families moved into the Northgate subdivision in Dyer, IN sometime around 1978. They lived across the street from the baseball field in Northgate Park. Mrs. D has been like my second mom ever since she made the mistake of offering us kids lemonade instead of water from the garden hose during one of our baseball games. These two have what I consider to be a very rare combination of traits. They both possess an unparalleled inner strength and an amazing ability to be the most loving people I know. Today I received phone calls from both of them. Sometimes reality can leave you at a loss for words. Today that was the case. Kathy called me this afternoon to let me know her father was admitted to the ICU today. Mr. D has been battling liver disease for the past year. I talked to him in the past 10 days, as usual he said he was doing fine. There was something in Kathy's voice that warned me this wasn't a typical hospital visit. I knew this call would come someday, but it stunned me today for some reason. The phone rang at 11:30pm. I knew this couldn't be good. It was Mrs. D with the news that her husband has passed away around 7pm. There was a very strong calmness to Mrs. D's voice as she recounted the details of his last day. I really needed to hear that to keep me from falling apart on the phone. I agreed when Mrs. D said "Phil had lived a good life. He was loved by many and he loved many." I was relieved to know that both Mrs. D & Kathy's wish that he not suffer was granted by the grace of God. If there is such a thing as a good way to die, this was it. Live your life to the fullest, with a huge smile for everyone you meet, then give loved ones a chance to say goodbye and finally pass quickly surrounded by those who loved you the most.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
September 22 Kathy & Mrs. D
This is a picture of my friends, Kathy & her mom, Mrs. D. I love these two women. Kathy and I have been friends since both our families moved into the Northgate subdivision in Dyer, IN sometime around 1978. They lived across the street from the baseball field in Northgate Park. Mrs. D has been like my second mom ever since she made the mistake of offering us kids lemonade instead of water from the garden hose during one of our baseball games. These two have what I consider to be a very rare combination of traits. They both possess an unparalleled inner strength and an amazing ability to be the most loving people I know. Today I received phone calls from both of them. Sometimes reality can leave you at a loss for words. Today that was the case. Kathy called me this afternoon to let me know her father was admitted to the ICU today. Mr. D has been battling liver disease for the past year. I talked to him in the past 10 days, as usual he said he was doing fine. There was something in Kathy's voice that warned me this wasn't a typical hospital visit. I knew this call would come someday, but it stunned me today for some reason. The phone rang at 11:30pm. I knew this couldn't be good. It was Mrs. D with the news that her husband has passed away around 7pm. There was a very strong calmness to Mrs. D's voice as she recounted the details of his last day. I really needed to hear that to keep me from falling apart on the phone. I agreed when Mrs. D said "Phil had lived a good life. He was loved by many and he loved many." I was relieved to know that both Mrs. D & Kathy's wish that he not suffer was granted by the grace of God. If there is such a thing as a good way to die, this was it. Live your life to the fullest, with a huge smile for everyone you meet, then give loved ones a chance to say goodbye and finally pass quickly surrounded by those who loved you the most.
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