Looking For Calm

It seems hard to believe that a year has passed since Brooks and I walked into the hospital in Wilmington to see our dear friend Christine. When I crossed the threshold of that room, I knew it would be the last time I would see her. I am grateful every day that I had the opportunity to sit with Christine, to hold her hand, to talk and laugh with her, to pray with she and Brooks and to spend time with her dear mom, Linda. I was struck in those moments of how clear she was about the love she shared for her husband Jonathan, her children Nathaniel and Annabelle, her mom, dad, brother Gage and her many friends. She asked me about my mom and our family even though her breathing was labored and she was in pain. Christine also told me that she was ready to be with her son Benjamin, who had passed away from an accident at the age of 5. I told her it was okay to go. My time with my friend was a gift beyond measure, I will treasure those minutes together. But what if I had waited? What if I had not texted Jonathan and gotten in the car to go? What if I had not been able to hold her hand one more time, to tell her that I loved her and was grateful for what she gave to my life? What if we had not laughed about her need to re-load the dishwasher every time I had loaded the dishes when we lived together on Legation Street? Don’t wait…in this crazy life there is not a guarantee for a moment beyond this one. Pick up the phone and call a friend to whom you have not spoken, reach out to a family member with whom there is struggle, ask for help from a loved one or friend. Hug your partner Seize every moment, treasure them, have gratitude and spread love, light and peace.

A Fleeting Image

So fleeting is this thing called life, we journey toward its end,
experiencing pieces of a puzzle we don’t truly comprehend.

The hues of our emotion paint a picture of our past,
as we hurtle toward a destiny that is not meant to last.

Youth a canvas all in white, not knowing what awaits,
feel caresses of a brush that which we know as fate.

Love so very true in reds, that beat within our heart,
shadows black take form as hate, which tears the soul apart.

Greens of joy and happiness, lush grass beyond compare,
sadness, shrouded depths of blue, the waters of despair.

Yellow screams of agony and pain which we endure.
Guilt and shame are shades of grey, a torrential downpour.

Earthy brown desires are that for which we lust,
the loss of which comes with age, like chrome begins to rust.

The image changing constantly as time plods slowly on,
taking shape in many forms, as the twilight replaces dawn.

We look into a mirror for the answers which we seek,
but we find no consolation as our eyes grow dim and weak.

The final touches on a painting created with much love,
as we realize that the destination is the gallery above… –Avi Fleischer