Life after Life - Waiting

Good Morning!  How is your cup of coffee or hot tea this morning?  It is a cool breezy beautiful morning on our mountain top.  The glow of the rising sun is clothing the distance mountain peaks in a soft pinkish glow.  I am sitting at our table where I can take peeks out the front window and enjoy the arrival of morning.  As we all know I love morning.  It is such a special time.  I love to get up early so I can enjoy each second of its arrival. The mountains are now clothed in Blue outlined against rising clouds that are reflecting the sun's glow.

Morning has Broken

Morning is a time of prayer, meditation, thanksgiving, reflecting, and a walk with Sigmund (our dog - although Bob used to love to walk he has not been able to walk any distance for several years).  Even when the campground is going strong I still try to work in this important part of each day.   Many times the walk is the highlight of the day - how can you not be thankful when you are surrounded by the songs of birds, the whispering of leaves and grasses in morning breezes, the sounds of cattle munching, the rustle of deer, squirrels, and even skunks in the woods-  the green of the earth before you and the ever changing sky above you.  Morning colors can be spell binding.  The strength and peace of earth and life infuses you.  "Morning has Broken" - what you do with your day is now up to you.


Speaking of Walks and Reflections and the day you are given, I have been reminded recently of a book that needs to be written.  I would have called it Waiting to Die but I saw a title of another book that would be more appropriate Life after Life.  You ask, what am I taking about.  The answer is complicated but I will try to explain.

Starting with a short explanation - due to a broken ankle Bob ended up having to go to rehab at one of the local long term care/rehab centers for physical therapy.  The ankle had to be surgically put together again and he can not put any weight on it for awhile.  As a result of his back problems he is not able to use crutches and is  in a position of having to use a wheelchair.  His therapy concentrated on strengthening the arm muscles and the good legs muscles so that he can transfer to bed, commode, shower and other things as needed.  The rehab therapists were super and so Bob is home now and able to do the transfers needed.

While Bob was at the rehab center I spent a great deal of time there and pushed his wheelchair all over the building to get him out of his room.  In the non rehab sections of the center I was reminded so much about the shortness and the unknown factors in our lives.  I would call the book Waiting to Die.  Some of the individuals do not know they are waiting - alzheimers has stolen them, others have the hopeless look of no future - its over - just let me go, others are looking at the door waiting for a visit, a smile, a future of some sort, others are just living the best they can with the time and circumstances they have. Some are able to participate in planned activities, some have visitors, some do not.  Some have to be hand fed, diapered, in other words taken care of completely.  Everyone has one thing in common - All are waiting.

Bright Happy Room

Several of the long term residence had their rooms decorated in bright happy colors.  They had a special bedspread, family photos, stuffed animals, dolls, books, or cards on their walls and door.  The bright colors made the room a happy home as best it could be.  These people seemed more active and involved in living.  Maybe the rooms that were not so colorful need color to add cheer to the day,  Many of the rooms were filled with bright sunlight on sunny days and this added cheer to the individuals life and color to the room.  Their waiting is more alive.

Another title for the book could be Life after Life - Waiting.   They lived their first active life as we are living ours each day.  Now most are on what I would call their second life - the waiting life.  Would it not be great to be able to look into their lives from childhood forward and see who they are, what they did, how they felt, what they believed and loved, what made them who they are?  For instance I can not help but think of the couple who is at the center together sharing a room and the couple at the center who are not able to be together - in fact because of alzheimers do not even know their lifetime spouse is near.  Can you imagine the couple that is together - their whole lives reduced to one room - what happened to all their stuff - do they miss it? - are they just happy with their cheerful colors, tv, books, and being together for mental and physical support.  Are they still able to laugh? What was their life like before?  Do they have children?  Would you not like to read a story about how they came to be where they are?  So much history.  Life after Life - Waiting.  

We would be remiss if we just did a story on the couples, we would need to write a story about the individuals - their struggles, their laughter,  their story of how it all came to be.  You never know who is around you - the things they know - the difficulties they have faced - their favorite spots in the world - their recipes for food, life -  the advice they could give.  We would need to write the stories of those who can no longer make it without complete help - how do you think they really feel inside - what goes through their minds - are they able to pray - what do they pray for?  Who are you?  Life after Life - Waiting

Bob's Mom lived to be 99 years old.  She was so interesting.  As long as she could read she kept up with the news headlines and talked about what was happening in the world each day.  She always enjoyed being outside in the sunshine on warm days.  When arthritis, bad vision, bad hearing made it difficult for her to continue onward and she was sitting, waiting, we asked her what she thought about as the day passed by.  She smiled and said, " I quote poetry.  I think about my childhood.  I think about growing up on a farm, about getting up early of the morning and helping make breakfast for a large family, Biscuits was her speciality".    Life after Life - Waiting

Ordinary people or is that extraordinary people living extraordinary lives -

Waiting

Serene, I fold my hands and wait,
Nor care for wind, nor tide, nor sea;
I rave no more 'gainst time or fate,
For lo! my own shall come to me.

I stay my haste, I make delays,
For what avails this eager pace?
I stand amid the eternal ways,
And what is mine shall know my face.

Asleep, awake, by night or day,
The friends I seek are seeking me;
No wind can drive my bark astray,
Nor change the tide of destiny.

What matter if I stand alone?
I wait with joy the coming years;
My heart shall reap where it hath sown,
And garner up its fruit of tears.

The waters know their own and draw
The brook that springs in yonder height;
So flows the good with equal law
Unto the soul of pure delight.

The stars come nightly to the sky;
The tidal wave unto the sea;
Nor time, nor space, nor deep, nor high,
Can keep my own away from me. 

John Burroughs