Lasting Legacies Articles

Terminal Blessings

Full Version:
www.lastinglegacies.biz/legacy/articles/

Lasting Legacies Home:
www.lastinglegacies.biz

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Terminal Blessings
Procrastination scored a point in my ongoing battle with it this week. Thursday was the deadline to submit quilt entries for an upcoming quilt show. For months, a quilt has been forming and reforming itself in my mind. Inspired by the theme of seasons, it is a fantastic quilt, full of deep blues, greens, and grays interspersed with bright glimpses of white; it is an expression of my love for winter here in Eugene, the rainy place I chose to call home. It is about trusting that the darkness of winter will end soon, and savoring the dark time for it’s own beauty. I call it "Sun Break." Or rather, I will call it "Sun Break"— as soon as I finish it.

You see I’ve been busy with other things and just didn’t make this quilt a priority until it was too late. Fortunately, there will be other quilt shows in the future. I’m sure I’ll find a show someday that is a perfect fit for Sun Break. This is the type of missed deadline that has built–in second chances. Not all deadlines do.

A friend just learned that her father has a terminal illness. My heart goes out to her; I recall my own father’s final illness. As I sat beside Dad’s hospital bed and listened to him sleep I worked mindless word puzzles. When Dad was awake, we talked about serious matters, like how he felt about the life he lived and the dreams he would be leaving unfinished. I asked questions, he answered them. We also talked about inconsequential things, like how great he thought it was that the nurses didn’t mind us sneaking snack puddings to him by the dozen, in spite of his diabetes. Every one of those moments was precious to me. There just weren’t enough of them.

After Dad was gone I realized I still had a lot of unanswered questions. I wish I had started asking them years sooner— before he was sick, before we ran out of time. Alas, there are no second chances here.

I have come to appreciate a terminal illness as a blessing of sorts. It is like a final warning bell: Time is running out! Get things in order now! Now is the time for expressing love, resolving old hurts, answering questions, teaching and learning. As difficult as this dark period is there is still time for sharing fear, pain, hope, sadness, gratitude and even joy. I trust that my friend and her father will embrace this season and savor it, knowing it will end soon.
-Linda A. Smith

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------