I have been working in a major, academic medical center for close to 15 years. I have met hundreds of people and have had many opportunities to help many of them. I really love what I do and I cherish every opportunity that God places in my path.
15 years ago I met an energetic 6-year old. He was the most independent kid I had ever seen. I was walking to my office and he asked me for a piece of candy. I walked him to the gift shop and I bought him some candy and talked to him for a little while. To this day, I stand amazed at how much this little boy could talk and how much he loved life. He had a form of cancer and refused to let his condition get him down. For close to 3 years, he was in and out of the hospital. Every admission I grew closer and closer to this kid. After this long battle, the doctors finally declared him in remission. I cannot tell you how happy I felt to know that my buddy was in the clear.
Every year, this kid continued to stop by during his follow-up appointments and I watched him grow into a fine young man that loved the life that God had granted. We often talked about him riding my back through the main lobby of the hospital when he was small. When he reached his teenage years, I found myself giving a lot of advice and becoming more of a father figure. Somehow through those serious conversations, he always found a way to show me that life was great because he was granted some extra time.
Last year, that little boy (now 20) came in for a routine visit and he told the doctor that he had found a large lump in his neck. Two weeks later, he was in surgery having a tumor removed only to find that some form of cancer had spread to his collar bone and into his lungs. He was here for more than a week in the ICU. Though we learned that the cancer had come back, we all were still hopeful.
In this past year, I saw him more often as he came in for more treatments. I honestly believe that he wished he was a little boy again….me too. That little boy that I could ride on my back was a little boy trapped in a man’s body. I could walk him to the coffee shop and he often beg me or one of my staff to walk with him to get something to eat. Until recently, I honestly thought he was being a little needy. But in the last 12 days, I realized that he was afraid of what life was getting ready to hand him.
Twelve days ago, he walked into this hospital a very sick kid…man. Over the past 12 days, life has definitely changed for him. As each day passed, he struggled only to end up on a ventilator. He turned 21-years old last week. For his birthday, my staff worked their magic and made sure he had balloons, a stuffed animal and a Carolina blanket. I cannot tell you how great they are with him. That same day an hour after we walked out, he took a turn and he has been unresponsive since. Only the God of all the universe can make things better now.
You can tell, I have had one heavy heart. Being the blogger that I am, I just could not think of anything to write other than this….
When Seth or Anderson hug me, I hug a little bit tighter. When I watch them play, I watch a little bit longer. When I hear them argue with each other, I let them argue a little bit longer. When I walk out of their rooms at night, I walk a little bit slower. Folks, life is way too short! Take a look around you in the coming days. Look what God has blessed you with and know that it can go away with a blink of an eye.
Peace…
