| General Non-Fiction posted December 2, 2022 |
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My neighbor passed unexpectedly the other night
The Brevity of Life
by T B Botts
I was in bed reading the night before last, when I heard the un-mistakable sound of large diesel powered vehicles close by. I looked up and saw a light streaming through the gap in the curtains, flashing on the walls. At first I thought that it might have been a road crew coming to clean the street of the little bit of snow that had fallen. When the sound persisted, I got out of bed and went to the venetian blinds and peeked out. Parked on the street in front of my neighbor's house were two emergency vehicles and a police car, all with red and blue lights flashing.
As I watched, an ambulance pulled into the driveway and two people climbed out and rushed inside. Obviously there was a problem, but I had no idea what it was or which of the two occupants the EMT's were summoned for. I said a generic prayer, not knowing who or what to pray for and hoped for the best. When I heard the sound of doors shutting, I got up and peered out again, in time to see the vehicles shut off their brilliant lights and pull away.
Yesterday I discovered that my neighbor had passed away. She was only 59 years old. Unfortunately she was obese, and though she had a heart condition, she still smoked. I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise that she suffered a premature death, but nonetheless, it was.
I'm sure that when she woke up in the morning, she had no thought that before twenty four hours had passed, she would no longer be on this earth. I can only assume that when she awoke she did all the normal things one would expect to do. Perhaps she walked out to the kitchen and made a pot of coffee or put the kettle on for tea. Maybe she turned on the news or opened her bible for her morning devotions. After breakfast she might have taken a bath or shower, got dressed, made the bed and did whatever she found to do with the rest of her day. Dying wasn't on the list of things to do that day. It never is. We go about our days like we have forever, but we don't.
The whole thing hit me pretty hard, even though we weren't close. Every night though, for the few years that I've lived in my home, I've gone into my bedroom and before I shut the blinds, I can see the TV on in their window. Several lights would be blazing into the wee hours of the night, and recently, Christmas lights were strung around the panes, giving a festive look to the darkness outside.
Last night when I went to bed, the lights were dimmed. There were no colorful decorations in the windows. Silence envelopes the house. Her husband retired to an empty bed. Perhaps in the bathroom there is a robe hanging that belonged to his wife. In the closet are clothes that she won't wear again. Maybe there are gifts yet to arrive that he had ordered for her in anticipation of a joyous Christmas morning. In the cupboard or the sink strainer is her favorite cup. In the morning he'll sit down to a table with a meal for one, if he feels like eating at all. They have a cat that she used to pamper. Will it notice that the lady of the house is gone?
In the days ahead, he'll answer the same questions repeatedly from friends and family who have called. She was an organ donor, so the body won't be released right away. When it is, he'll have to make arrangements for burial. It's all quite mind boggling, this unwanted task that has been thrust upon him. He's wrestling with his feelings; sadness, and maybe a little anger at God. He thought he would be the first to go, at least that's what he had hoped for. What we hope for and what we get are often two different things though.
So far he hasn't had to think about the monetary issues that come with death, but he will be confronted with them soon. Caskets, flowers, services, burial sites, they all cost money. Most of us think we have plenty of time to worry about funeral preparations. Death is an uninvited guest though. It arrives on time, but we're not privy to when that is.
I don't mean to be morbid, but I'm seventy years old. We have a will, but there are other things to consider yet. Which child will get what, where are the important documents located, who will be the executor of the will? Dying takes some preparation. I hope all of you have many years of joy and good health ahead of you. I hope also that you will take a look at what will take place after your death and will do all you can to relieve those left behind of any undue stress.
I was in bed reading the night before last, when I heard the un-mistakable sound of large diesel powered vehicles close by. I looked up and saw a light streaming through the gap in the curtains, flashing on the walls. At first I thought that it might have been a road crew coming to clean the street of the little bit of snow that had fallen. When the sound persisted, I got out of bed and went to the venetian blinds and peeked out. Parked on the street in front of my neighbor's house were two emergency vehicles and a police car, all with red and blue lights flashing.
As I watched, an ambulance pulled into the driveway and two people climbed out and rushed inside. Obviously there was a problem, but I had no idea what it was or which of the two occupants the EMT's were summoned for. I said a generic prayer, not knowing who or what to pray for and hoped for the best. When I heard the sound of doors shutting, I got up and peered out again, in time to see the vehicles shut off their brilliant lights and pull away.
Yesterday I discovered that my neighbor had passed away. She was only 59 years old. Unfortunately she was obese, and though she had a heart condition, she still smoked. I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise that she suffered a premature death, but nonetheless, it was.
I'm sure that when she woke up in the morning, she had no thought that before twenty four hours had passed, she would no longer be on this earth. I can only assume that when she awoke she did all the normal things one would expect to do. Perhaps she walked out to the kitchen and made a pot of coffee or put the kettle on for tea. Maybe she turned on the news or opened her bible for her morning devotions. After breakfast she might have taken a bath or shower, got dressed, made the bed and did whatever she found to do with the rest of her day. Dying wasn't on the list of things to do that day. It never is. We go about our days like we have forever, but we don't.
The whole thing hit me pretty hard, even though we weren't close. Every night though, for the few years that I've lived in my home, I've gone into my bedroom and before I shut the blinds, I can see the TV on in their window. Several lights would be blazing into the wee hours of the night, and recently, Christmas lights were strung around the panes, giving a festive look to the darkness outside.
Last night when I went to bed, the lights were dimmed. There were no colorful decorations in the windows. Silence envelopes the house. Her husband retired to an empty bed. Perhaps in the bathroom there is a robe hanging that belonged to his wife. In the closet are clothes that she won't wear again. Maybe there are gifts yet to arrive that he had ordered for her in anticipation of a joyous Christmas morning. In the cupboard or the sink strainer is her favorite cup. In the morning he'll sit down to a table with a meal for one, if he feels like eating at all. They have a cat that she used to pamper. Will it notice that the lady of the house is gone?
In the days ahead, he'll answer the same questions repeatedly from friends and family who have called. She was an organ donor, so the body won't be released right away. When it is, he'll have to make arrangements for burial. It's all quite mind boggling, this unwanted task that has been thrust upon him. He's wrestling with his feelings; sadness, and maybe a little anger at God. He thought he would be the first to go, at least that's what he had hoped for. What we hope for and what we get are often two different things though.
So far he hasn't had to think about the monetary issues that come with death, but he will be confronted with them soon. Caskets, flowers, services, burial sites, they all cost money. Most of us think we have plenty of time to worry about funeral preparations. Death is an uninvited guest though. It arrives on time, but we're not privy to when that is.
I don't mean to be morbid, but I'm seventy years old. We have a will, but there are other things to consider yet. Which child will get what, where are the important documents located, who will be the executor of the will? Dying takes some preparation. I hope all of you have many years of joy and good health ahead of you. I hope also that you will take a look at what will take place after your death and will do all you can to relieve those left behind of any undue stress.
As I watched, an ambulance pulled into the driveway and two people climbed out and rushed inside. Obviously there was a problem, but I had no idea what it was or which of the two occupants the EMT's were summoned for. I said a generic prayer, not knowing who or what to pray for and hoped for the best. When I heard the sound of doors shutting, I got up and peered out again, in time to see the vehicles shut off their brilliant lights and pull away.
Yesterday I discovered that my neighbor had passed away. She was only 59 years old. Unfortunately she was obese, and though she had a heart condition, she still smoked. I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise that she suffered a premature death, but nonetheless, it was.
I'm sure that when she woke up in the morning, she had no thought that before twenty four hours had passed, she would no longer be on this earth. I can only assume that when she awoke she did all the normal things one would expect to do. Perhaps she walked out to the kitchen and made a pot of coffee or put the kettle on for tea. Maybe she turned on the news or opened her bible for her morning devotions. After breakfast she might have taken a bath or shower, got dressed, made the bed and did whatever she found to do with the rest of her day. Dying wasn't on the list of things to do that day. It never is. We go about our days like we have forever, but we don't.
The whole thing hit me pretty hard, even though we weren't close. Every night though, for the few years that I've lived in my home, I've gone into my bedroom and before I shut the blinds, I can see the TV on in their window. Several lights would be blazing into the wee hours of the night, and recently, Christmas lights were strung around the panes, giving a festive look to the darkness outside.
Last night when I went to bed, the lights were dimmed. There were no colorful decorations in the windows. Silence envelopes the house. Her husband retired to an empty bed. Perhaps in the bathroom there is a robe hanging that belonged to his wife. In the closet are clothes that she won't wear again. Maybe there are gifts yet to arrive that he had ordered for her in anticipation of a joyous Christmas morning. In the cupboard or the sink strainer is her favorite cup. In the morning he'll sit down to a table with a meal for one, if he feels like eating at all. They have a cat that she used to pamper. Will it notice that the lady of the house is gone?
In the days ahead, he'll answer the same questions repeatedly from friends and family who have called. She was an organ donor, so the body won't be released right away. When it is, he'll have to make arrangements for burial. It's all quite mind boggling, this unwanted task that has been thrust upon him. He's wrestling with his feelings; sadness, and maybe a little anger at God. He thought he would be the first to go, at least that's what he had hoped for. What we hope for and what we get are often two different things though.
So far he hasn't had to think about the monetary issues that come with death, but he will be confronted with them soon. Caskets, flowers, services, burial sites, they all cost money. Most of us think we have plenty of time to worry about funeral preparations. Death is an uninvited guest though. It arrives on time, but we're not privy to when that is.
I don't mean to be morbid, but I'm seventy years old. We have a will, but there are other things to consider yet. Which child will get what, where are the important documents located, who will be the executor of the will? Dying takes some preparation. I hope all of you have many years of joy and good health ahead of you. I hope also that you will take a look at what will take place after your death and will do all you can to relieve those left behind of any undue stress.
 Recognized |
No one likes to think about dying, but it's a part of life. When it happens to a loved one, our lives are turned upside down.
Pays
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