Over the last couple of weeks, I have been watching a Facebook friend deal with her emotions as she watches her father slowly step closer to death. She posts updates and pictures of him almost everyday. This seems to be the time of year when so many older folks pass on. I'm really not sure why. My own ex mother in law passed away on December 10th, the same day my mom passed on many years ago. Other friends have also had loved ones succumb to death in December. As for my friend, I have come to look forward to her posts about father.
I'm writing about this because my friend has been so open in sharing her struggle as well as the struggles of her father. And reading about it has caused me to think about how we die. You can tell by the pictures she posts that her dad is close to passing, but another day goes by and he is still here. You can see the strain on her as she almost wishes he would go....that it would be a relief to the both of them. I know it would be for her. But for him, I wonder if he is content with waiting for death to overtake him. Or is he fighting death to the final, inevitable outcome....making death earn its victory? That's how I would like to imagine it. I'm not sure why, but everyday when I see him still alive I feel happy. I'm happy in knowing that he defeated death for another day. It reminds me of the movie, The Outlaw Josey Wales, when the boy says "We whooped 'em again, didn't we Josey?" I know we cannot defeat death forever. And there comes a time when it is ok to just let go and pass on. But I just have mad respect for the people who fight it and defeat it. It's like being down 40-0 in a football game. You keep playing hard and fighting....making the other team earn their inevitable victory.
Sadly, though, her father finally passed. So to my friend, my heart goes out to you. So many of us know the struggles you are enduring right now. And to your dad.....what a noble fight you put on, Warrior. You definitely made death earn it.
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