Well, I know one person to which that statement doesn't apply. I know ONE person who has never been anything other than a Saint. That person is my Pa. His past is still full of nothing other than a man of integrity, tolerance, hard work and selflesness. I can guarantee that his future has the same things in store.
I got the phonecall from my mom late in the night that Pa had bleeding in his brain and had been rushed to the hospital. He was given 3 options: 1. Death 2. Coma 3. Brain Surgery. He is a stubborn man, but he chose option 3.
So, Brain Surgery it was.
Unfortunately, much of what happened during this time had to be relayed to me by phone with my mom and email with my sister. Luckily, they kept me updated while they were spending whatever time they could with him. I was sick and was put on antibiotics and given strict instructions not to go to see him for 48 hours. That was 48 hours of torture for me. Talk about terrible timing. All I wanted to do was to see him. What if something happened and I never got to see him again just because of a stupid illness?
Thank the lord, that man is a fighter if there ever was one. I knew he was. We all knew. Let me tell ya, the first time I saw him was depressing. I saw him after a couple days of recovery and from what I have been told he looked much worse directly after the surgery. His eyes barely open, his mouth barely opens and he has tubes everywhere. We tried to convince him that they had put my "silly blonde brain in his head" and he mumbled "Well, that's just what I need!" Apparently, he never loses his affinity for dry humor.
Yesterday, he was very medicated and for lack of a better word seeing him like that is sad. I have all of the faith in the world that he will get better, but for one of my favorite people in the world to have something so traumatic happen to them is unsettling. Especially if you know the type of person that he is (an intimidatingly, physically, strong person). He is always on the go and this will certainly change his lifestyle to something that he will be unhappy about. My mom told me that he looked at her that morning and said, "This is the shits, huh?" Yes, yes it is. But, at least he is talking, moving and sitting up in a chair with the help of four nurses.
Today's update holds more hope than I could have imagined. Not only is Pa speaking much more clearly today, but he also started eating and drinking on his own. He had a surgery scheduled to get a feeding tube in his stomach and just shortly before he was due to have the surgery he started eating on his own. According to my mom his first words after his meal were, "Is Landon still here?" No, Landon had to go home for his nap, but he will without a doubt be back tomorrow.
You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.
Maya Angelou
So, for all of the petty folk out there who like to complain about small unimportant so-called terrible things that happen to you- well take a page from the book of Pa and realize that your life ain't so bad! If you're sending me an invitation to your pity party don't expect me to RSVP. I am over it. Life can always get worse and you just need to make the most of it. Find happiness and don't waste a minute, because in a minute everything can change and it can ALWAYS get worse.
I toyed with the idea of posting a blog about this, but I think I will try to update this as his recovery goes along. Pa is inspiring and his recovery and strength are just something to be in awe of. It is going to be a long road for him, but we're all here to walk it with him. Save a prayer for him tonight.
Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.
Mother Teresa
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