Today is Saturday the 12th of August 2017. Fourteen weeks ago today my wife was taken to Heaven. As has happened on many Saturdays, I awoke at the exact minute my wife’s neurosurgeon called 14 weeks ago to tell me Sue was gone. 

If you are even a somewhat regular reader of my blogs you know that my wife passed away several weeks ago after months of health challenges that began with a ruptured frontal lobe aneurysm. A memory surfaced recently that served as the seed from which this blog sprouted. 

Today is Sunday, July 2, 2017. Five hours ago, while in Bible Study, our teacher read about the Baka Valley, the Valley of Tears. I know that valley well. In fact, I was holding back the tears at the end of class. So instead of staying for the worship service I went to the cemetery. I needed to have a talk with my wife. Yes, I have become like those you see in the movies who sit talking to their loved one.

As I begin this blog, I do so with a bit of sadness because I have come to the end of the “Love is” series, which has been therapeutic. If you are interested in reading some of the blogs I wrote during my wife’s seven-month long battle for survival you can go to the Elder Source Blog page.

I found the little book on her beside table while she was at National Health Care for several weeks of rehab. Someone from my wife’s school must have stopped by and left it as an encouragement. I had the room to myself for a few minutes so I opened the little journal and began to read the handwritten notes on the once empty pages.

Five weeks ago today I received a 6:52AM call from my wife’s neurosurgeon telling me my sweetheart was gone. Her seven-month long battle for survival was over, but my world crashed and is still smoldering. Two words came to mind that morning, but I have waited until now to put “Love Is” into the blogosphere.

My wife loved that I loved her. She loved our simple date nights, our romantic get-a-ways, and the occasional bouquets of flowers at the end of a long day at school or for no reason at all. Every day ended with us sitting on the sofa next to each other holding hands, and once in bed we would fall asleep snuggling.

God, You and I have talked a lot during the last seven months of my bride’s life. Many times I thought she wasn’t going to survive. Many times it hurt so much to see her suffering that I prayed over and over again, asking you to heal her. As if you needed my permission, I even left the definition of healing up to you, knowing that you might choose to ultimately heal her and take her to be with you. Ten days ago you did just that.

I saw her in the group in front of me. She wore a white skirt and a checkered lavender colored top. I liked how she walked, talked, and interacted with the three other girls in her group. We were on a church outing to the local Putt Putt miniature golf course.

Life can be like a game of checkers. I haven’t played checkers in many, many years, but I remember well a few I played decades ago. My maternal grandfather had a farm in western Kentucky. Although he never learned to read or write, he had one of the best business minds I have ever known. I often find myself reflecting on the lessons learned from his example.

Before my wife’s frontal lobe aneurysm and subsequent surgeries (you can see previous blogs for details) I was one who followed rules and had my day planned, my week, next week... But life has a way of changing one’s thinking.

I am reminded of the well known line Clint Eastwood spoke in the Dirty Harry movies, “Are you feeling lucky today, punk?” Lucky is not in my normal vocabulary. Honestly, I can’t remember how long it has been since I have even used the word. I accept that some people appear to be lucky, but I have never considered myself to be a member of that elite club.

Life has never been easy, but it seems as if the world is unraveling at a hectic pace. Anger and hostility are front and center of the 24-hour news cycle and battle lines are drawn. Society is not a pretty place right now, and I see a shortage of integrity as one of the contributors.

An important introductory note: I met Sam today while visiting my wife in rehab. Tomorrow marks the end of the 5th month since my wife’s brain trauma began. A stubborn aneurysm that burst twice was only the beginning. You can scan some earlier blogs for more details. She is now in a local care facility for rehab. Today is Saturday 2/24/17.

None of us has a guarantee of tomorrow. There is not a day that goes by without reminders that our life or the life of one we know and love could be gone in the blink of an eye. For nearly five months I have lived knowing that today could be my last with my wife.

In my last blog I voiced concern over our increasingly divided nation. Our news outlets seem to enjoy fanning the flames that destroy hope. When hope is lost, a nation, a society, a government, a people, a marriage, a family… will perish! Unfortunately, heartwarming stories don’t drive ratings like sensational stories do.