03/31/2018
So, here's the deal, life doesn't often turn out the way you planned. In fact, the turning that takes place is at times excruciatingly painful, and at times excitingly hopeful. How can one's life experience be both at the same time?
I've done a fair amount of living and have seen a lot of stuff in my 70+ years. But the last 10 days have stopped me dead in my tracks. It all began with a phone call from my daughter-in-law with an anguished cry for help..."Jon, [my son] has fallen off of the roof" That was St. Paddy's day. Since then Jon has endured major brain surgery, been in intensive care in the trauma center at Harborview Hospital in Seattle, WA. His body is broken but healing, his brain has traumatic injury, but is responding. So in a nut shell [interesting choice of words] that's the long and short of it.
It's almost 2 weeks later, and I've had the opportunity to open a caringbridge.org/visit/joneekhoff website. Yup, that's him [down below] with a picture that captures Jon's view of his world and his place in it. "Tired of being fat and ugly, just be ugly." A no non-sense approach that invites him and others to live for the moment. He was stopped in HIS tracks three years ago, when HIS son was dealing with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma...with a successful outcome. But stuff like this leaves its mark and changes everything instantly.
I find myself waking early in the morning, still numb to feeling the reality of what we are called upon to deal with. Jon's still in Harborview, his wife is at his side each day, family has gathered and disbursed feeling confident that Jon is in good hands with staff and care givers at the hospital.
We have experienced being family like never before. Our text messages to one another are raw, fearful, silly, hilarious and hopeful...and all of these varied emotions have also been experienced with Jon, in his room. It is SOOO loud sometimes that it cannot go on without being noticed...but we are in this together, we are fam-i-ly, as the song goes. The man in the next bed stated he wished he had a family like ours. We would never wish this experience on anyone, but when life turns...it is good to have others to turn to. Being dependable, knowing that you have folks who will always be there for you...wow, what a blessing. We live our individual lives within the shelter of family
There is something mysterious about faith, about prayer...it seems to bridge the gulf between pain and hope. It's almost as if I cannot experience one without the other. What a life I live!! What a family I have!!
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