Abide With Me

Mom’s diagnosis of stomach cancer came completely unexpected.  We were only nine months out since dad’s passing away from lymphoma, and though mom seemed lonely and withdrawn, we attributed it wholly to her missing him.  We had admitted her to the hospital out of concern for dehydration and cramping.  But one thing led to another, and we were suddenly confronted with the shocking news.  As she lay in her hospital bed, now intubated and semiconscious, a flood of emotions came to each of us.  Knowing that we would lose her very soon, I was grief-stricken and felt guilty that, as a pathologist and her son, I hadn’t been able to do more to help detect her illness earlier.  Brandon, our sixteen-year old tender hearted son, had a very close relationship with his grandmother.  As she lay in her bed, Brandon was visibly struggling with his emotions and what he could do.  After a time, he turned to me and asked, “Dad, can I sing to her?”.  It was such an unexpected petition, but the answer was of course yes.  Brandon stood devotedly by the side of Mary’s bed, and in his deep bass voice, began the strains of “Abide With Me, ‘Tis Eventide”.  Emotion-laden, and with tears streaming down his face, it was all Brandon could do the stay composed to sing the three verses.  But he seemed to know this would be the most meaningful and relevant performance of his entire sixteen years.  A nurse, followed by an attendant, came in to check on Mary.  But each slipped back quietly and reverently from the room, choked up at the site of a loving grandson bidding goodbye to his grandmother in the only noteworthy way he knew how.

LESSON LEARNED:  Occasionally situations will arise that are beyond our capacity to mend.  The best medicine may be to just listen and share ourselves in the best way we know how.

FEEDBACK:  IN MOMENTS OF SPIRITUAL DESPERATION, WHAT WAYS HAVE YOU LEARNED TO SHARE OF YOURSELF TO OTHERS?