Guenter and I walked together through this terrible illness. We were like two old soldiers, leaning on one another supported by crutches, as we made our way along the muddy road, coming back from the battlefront. We would encourage one another and share advice on how we might recover from our injuries. He had a bloodied cloth wrapped around his head from where he had been operated on, in the makeshift battlefield hospital tent and I coughed a lot. We were a bloodied sight to see.
I knew he was going, but yet I didn't know. The disturbing dream came two weeks ago around the time he began to lose his grip on life. I felt psychologically stripped down after it.. My wife looked at me one day and said...."You're giving up aren't you?" I felt like it. I felt terribly alone.
The phone call came a few hours ago.
Strange how it goes. While I felt an immediate sense of loss, I also felt a sense of relief, for Guenter's suffering was over.
I thought of Jack Layton, writing these words, as he felt his life force slipping away.
"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world."
Guenter changed my world.
Thank you Guenter for letting me lean on you, as we hobbled along together on our journey.
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