One last road trip
I got a call late last night from a friend who was in distress.
Her voice was garbled and hard to understand.
She had taken an undetermined amount of pain pills.
As we talked into the wee hours of the morning, it became clear that she was intent on taking her own life.
At first I wanted to talk her out of her decision and I employed various reasoning to help her see my point of view.
I soon saw that my own limited understanding could not compare to the life that she had lived.
She has been physically and mentally abused most of her life, either from parents, spouse's or children.
Her body is broken and in pain from the countless beatings that she has endured.
She was ready to give up.
She asked, “Are you going to try to stop me?”
My initial thoughts were yes, but as she described her shattered life, I answered her no.
I would not try to stop her.
I could not judge her decision based on my own limited experiences.
I asked her if she was ready to meet God.
She didn’t feel that she was.
I asked her who would she like to meet after death?
She answered, her father and son who had already passed over.
She asked me to write down her last wishes.
I agreed.
I began to write, I had to have her repeat many things because her speech was slurred and she was not responsive.
As she talked, she suddenly stopped and said that she had one last unfulfilled dream.
One last road trip.
She told me her wish.
As we talked into the night, her speech became more clear.
Her thoughts were more directed.
I could tell she was beginning to come back to life.
I selfishly thought how my own life would be changed by her absence.
She has sparkle and others who recognize this have been robbing her energy to sustain their own selfish lives.
She had allowed them to completely drain her of life force and she was ready to give up.
I wrote down the names of those who would receive her most precious possessions.
This experience reminded me of my wife’s last moments.
In contrast, her life had been full and rich with experiences and love. She also directed me to write thank you letters to those who had been important in her life. She named those who would receive her sacred treasures.
As I compared the lives of these two special angels and the vastly different experiences each had experienced, I wondered?
Why?
Why do some live such tragic lives while other seem to live blessed lives?
I wondered about myself and my life.
What would my last moments reveal about me?
My friend paused and said that a departed loved one had just given her a message.
It was not yet her time to leave.
She had more to do.
More to learn.
More forgiveness to give.
She agreed that If she survived the night and lived that it was meant that she had more to do.
I hung up the phone.
Had I done the right thing?
Had I said the right words?
I felt at peace, even though I wasn’t sure if I would see her again.
What would you say?
Would you do?
Will she still experience her unfulfilled dream?
Does she have one more road trip in her future.
I say to her ...
You are special.
You are loved.
You made a difference in my life.
Your life has made a difference in many peoples lives.
You have made this world a better place.
