Serious Questions

This is not the blog I planned to write this morning but life intrudes.

Friday evening, around 6:00, the daughter (actually, stepdaughter) of a very close friend was struck by a car while biking.  She suffered massive head trauma, even wearing a helmet, and has undergone extensive brain surgery.  She's hour to hour now.   Her doctors have told the family it's in God's hands.

Why would I start everyone's Monday morning with such depressing news?  Well, crisis always brings questions, questions we tend not to think about until we have to.  This young woman was in the peak of health and fitness.  She was biking that day as part of her triathlon training.  Illness wasn't on her radar anywhere.  Neither was this.  She is single, no kids.  So it's not surprising she had none of those things that we start to think about as we get older - a living will, designated power of attorney, designated power of medical authorization, etc.  I'm not sure she even has a will.  Her parents are with her but neither has the legal right to speak for her, to make major decisions, even to access her records and pay her bills.  What would she want done?  Who would she want to speak for her if she's unable to speak for herself?  Who will take care of her?  There will be lawyers and court rulings and lots of unnecessary stress on top of the incredible pain of what is happening to their child.

She is the same age as my oldest.  I love my sons and make it a point to end all phone conversations with a quick 'love you'.  And they do the same.  But it's just a sound byte:  'love you, bye', said without thought or feeling.  How long has it been since I've really told them what they mean to me, how incredibly proud I am of the young men they've become?

If this happened today in your family, to you, to one of yours...what questions would need to be asked?  How would they be answered?


My current word count: 18,308

I'm currently enjoying: Just finished Absolutely, Positively by Heather Webber.  Another absolutely, positively, delightful Lucy Valentine.

Groaner of the day: Adding my usual groaner doesn't feel quite right today so I'm offering these.  The poem came to me in an e-mail, I don't know the author.  The quote is from the incomparable Erma Bombeck.

If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.
If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.
He sends you flowers every spring.
He sends you a sunrise every morning.
Whenever you want to talk, He listens.
He can live anywhere in the universe, but He chose your heart.
Face it, friend, He is crazy about you!
God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.

For me, heaven on earth is using up every bit of life before I leave it.  ~ Erma Bombeck, February 14, 1988