I had the perfect Valentine's Day blog post all written out and prepared for yesterday; all about the night that Ken and I met, in honor of this lover's holiday, but unfortunately, romantic love was not my main focus yesterday. The only thing I could think about instead, was the deep, passionate love we so desperately cling to for the amazing people in our lives who are taken from us way too soon.
***To protect the privacy of our family, I will refrain from using names and intimate details. Thank you all for your understanding ❤***
Nothing reminds you more of how fast and precious life truly is, than the death of someone who is so close and dear to your heart. Then add to that equation someone who is young, with their whole life ahead of them; someone who was happy, vibrant, and relatively healthy only days before and you're left with such a shocking, empty pit in your stomach that renders you speechless.
Why??
Oh, those awful, hated, unanswerable questions. We spend so much of our lives dwelling and obsessing over the "What if's?" If only life was that easy to change, but sadly...it simply is what it is...or is it?
We started our Valentine's Day, certainly not with the excitement of lovers, but with the heart-crushingly difficult task of having to say "goodbye" to a beloved family member. Just 12 hours before, he was pronounced 90-95% brain dead. Just sitting beside his hospital bed, watching the machine that was keeping him alive...a feeling of pure agony, for my husband's family, came over me. They would never again be able to talk to him, see him smile or laugh, teach him life lessons, take him fishing, celebrate a holiday with him by their side. I watched all of the memories of him and regrets, that we often torment ourselves with in the midst of such devastation, flash before their eyes. The decision this family was faced with was unimaginable.
I don't believe we ever truly heal after the death of someone we so deeply care for; we just learn to accept it and live with it, but these heartbreaking moments remain with us forever. They're our everyday reminders to hug a little tighter, kiss a little longer, laugh a little louder, and love a little stronger.
As the neurologist came in for his final observation before the devastating decision was to be made, something happened!! He gave the doctor a thumb's up!! First of all, I am not an overly spiritual person. I do not attend church regularly or read the Bible every night, but what I witnessed, yesterday, was nothing short of a miracle. There have been no promises or guarantees made. The next 48 hours are extremely critical for him, however, the one thing we do have now is a little bit of hope. He may need extensive therapy for the rest of his life. He may never be the same person we've always known him to be, but the important thing, right now, is that he's still alive and he still has a fighting chance.
Life is a true gift. We never know what tomorrow may bring. So as you're smelling your Valentine's Day flowers or indulging in your heart-shaped box of chocolates; whether you enjoyed a night out , last night, with your SO or chose to stay in with the kiddos...just remember, that at the end of the day, it doesn't matter how much money was spent or who went over the top with red and pink surprises...what matters most is LOVE. Love each other! You may never have this moment, together, again...
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