A better day
Oct. 29th, 2004 09:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
zyzylyA better day today. We used tylenol proactively to keep the fever down, and Arlina felt much more comfortable. The hospice nurse gave us all sorts of "pearls of wisdom" for dealing with this stuff, and so far it's working.
We had them bring a hospital bed today. I took some furniture out of the family room and put it there. That way she can see what's going on, and have a good view out the window. It will be a lot more comfortable for her.
She sat up for a while and checked her email. I shared your comments with her, and she was, as always, so touched by your love and concern, as am I. We received a lovely package in the mail today from one of our LJ friends--some music and some words--very lovely.
Looking at this one kind of made me cry. I was reminded of some lyrics by David Crosby:
She's still smiling, but she's tired.
She'd like to hear that last bell ring."
I don't know, can a smile like that ever be extinguished?
We had them bring a hospital bed today. I took some furniture out of the family room and put it there. That way she can see what's going on, and have a good view out the window. It will be a lot more comfortable for her.
She sat up for a while and checked her email. I shared your comments with her, and she was, as always, so touched by your love and concern, as am I. We received a lovely package in the mail today from one of our LJ friends--some music and some words--very lovely.
Looking at this one kind of made me cry. I was reminded of some lyrics by David Crosby:
She's still smiling, but she's tired.
She'd like to hear that last bell ring."
I don't know, can a smile like that ever be extinguished?
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Date: 2004-10-29 10:13 pm (UTC)Not for you, and now that you've shared so much of your love, not for us.
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Date: 2004-10-29 10:18 pm (UTC)That smile *I* will always remember, much less YOU! It will always live on.
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Date: 2004-10-29 10:20 pm (UTC)and the smile.... could light the darkest of nights. xoxo
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Date: 2004-10-29 11:01 pm (UTC)I know it will live on in my mind forever.
She's so beautiful!
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Date: 2004-10-29 11:37 pm (UTC)is luminous! ~paul
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Date: 2004-10-30 01:28 am (UTC)Such wonderful pictures!
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Date: 2004-10-30 05:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-30 05:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-30 05:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-30 06:27 am (UTC)Never.
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Date: 2004-10-30 08:40 am (UTC)You both are.
My entire church has been praying for you guys. There's a lot of love in the world for you both.
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Date: 2004-10-30 08:47 am (UTC)You both are in my thoughts and prayers.
:)
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Date: 2004-10-30 08:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-30 10:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-30 09:36 am (UTC)Seeing that and your comment made me think of John 1:5 "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn't overcome it."
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Date: 2004-10-30 09:47 am (UTC)that smile requires eye protection
Date: 2004-10-30 01:22 pm (UTC)I don't say much, but I'd like to thank you and Arlina
for sharing this journey, both painful and beautiful to witness.
I wish for strength and peace for both of you.
a little something for you...
Date: 2004-10-30 04:17 pm (UTC)An old man, probably some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the park bench. He didn't move, just sat with his head down staring at his hands.
When I sat down beside him he didn't acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat I wondered if he was ok.
Finally, not really wanting to disturb him, but wanting to check on him at the same time, I asked him if he was ok. He raised his head and looked at me and smiled.
"Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking", he said in a clear strong voice.
"I didn't mean to disturb you, sir, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were ok", I explained to him.
"Have you ever looked at your hands he asked? I mean really looked at your hands".
I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them.
I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. "No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands", as I tried to figure out the point he was making.
Then he smiled and related this story:
"Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled, shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and embrace life.
They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor. They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back.
As a child, my mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They dried the tears of my children and caressed the love of my life.
They held my rifle and wiped my tears when I went off to war. They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent.
They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special.
They wrote the letters home and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse and walked my daughter down the aisle.
Yet, they were strong and sure when I dug my buddy out of a foxhole and lifted a plow off of my best friends foot. They have held children, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand.
They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw.
And, to this day, when not much of anything else of me works real well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of my life.
But, more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home. And He won't care about where these hands have been or what they have done.
What He will care about is to whom these hands belong and how much He loves these hands. And with these hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ."
bright blessings for you both- may you squeeze the precious moments out of each of these good days and may God's Angels keep you in folded wings reach.
xo
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Date: 2004-10-30 07:57 pm (UTC)but i wanted to finally just tell you that im thinking of you both. im reading all of your entries and keeping you both in my prayers and thoughts.
i know we are strangers, and i know theres nothing to be done. but if on the off chance theres anything i can do. please just ask.
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Date: 2004-10-31 03:01 pm (UTC)Arlina's smile won't be extinguished for as long as there are people to remember it with you. Remembering will be hard, but not nearly as hard as it would have been if you'd never had Arlina's smile in the first place.