A Little More Time

I imagined her frail, wrinkled body lying in a sterile hospital room. My heart beat erratically when my dad delivered the news that my grandma had a mild stroke just yesterday. A slew of questions filled my mind. How could this happen? Will she pull through? Is she going to have another one? "I don't know," was all the information my dad could offer. I attempted to steer my way to the Dominican Joe coffee shop, fumbling through the motions and turns of the road. I sat in the parking lot and dialed my aunt's number, knowing that she was the one staying by her bedside. The weak and tired voice of my grandmother answers. She did not show any worry or wavering while she assured me that everything will be fine. "The doctors said if things look good, they'll let me go home tomorrow," she said. My grandmother has always been strong, fighting through the death of my grandfather, hyperthyroidism, and cataracts. She's a trooper. I hung up reluctantly and tried to compose myself in the car before I entered the coffee shop full of people. I failed. Tears streamed down my face like small rivers as I begged for God not to take her away anytime soon. At least let me see her face when I'm there in California 3 weeks from now. "Buy her some time," I pleaded, "Just a little more time..."

Breath of Life

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/search-on-for-man-at-hamilton-pool

The sun hung high above, wrapping the groups of people at Hamilton Pool in its heat. The site was something to marvel at. A cave surrounded a cascading waterfall that splashed below into a small watering hole, serving as the perfect outlet to cool off. The air was full of excitement as everyone enjoyed one of the first few weekends of amazing weather in Austin. The sounds of laughter and water splashing filled my ears as I bathed in the sun's warmth. The day took a turn for the worst as I heard shouts for help. I sat up in confusion to see the face of a panic-stricken man saying his friend had not resurfaced. My initial thought was, "Oh, haha, very funny," but when I saw strangers running and diving in, I knew then that no joke was being played. I stood around the waterfront amongst others, eagerly awaiting the minute when someone would surface with another man in his arms. 5 minutes passed...10....15.....The atmosphere grew more tense with every minute that ticked by. Nothing. I glanced at his older brother, empathizing with pain and sadness in my heart. He wailed in agony, calling desperately for his brother to reappear, magnifying my feelings tenfold. After what seemed like ages of silence, the chopping sounds of helicopter blades interrupted. A rescue team appeared not long after. I looked back as we were leaving, unsatisfied with how the events unfolded. God reminded me of how fleeting life on Earth really is. The breath of life that keeps you going can be gone in mere seconds. Breathe in...breathe out...breathe peace.

Update: http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/blotter/entries/2010/04/04/body_of_hamilton_pool_swimmer.html

Peace be with his family

Tested

I feel like with graduation looming around the corner, I'm bombarded with decisions and feelings of uncertainty. What next? Apply for grad school. Ok. What if I don't get in? Then what? Life gets so much more complicated as you grow older. I desperately long for the days of simplicity when all you had to worry about was coloring in the lines and whether you were gonna swing or play hopscotch that day. Spring Break was like a tease. Long days of nothing but laying out and bonding with friends, only to be thrust back into a world of decision-making and task orientation. Amidst all of this, I can't help but feel hopeless when I fast-forward to what is ahead. My faith is taking the mother of all tests. Can I still praise Him as I continue trusting that I'll be guided through this massive cloud that obscures the clarity of my future? Unshakeable faith...yea, that's what I need.

The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps

Proverbs 16:9

On a side tangent, Obama is to sign the new health care bill as early as this Tuesday. Why is everyone so against it? It's not like our current system works. All these protests of a country moving towards socialism? Hardly. Coming from a person who's had to have surgery out of the blue, you'll be thankful for it when hardship comes your way. That, and who are you to protest it because you can afford to have the choice of whether or not you want health care. Some people are too poor to even have an option, and continue suffering without the hopes of seeing a doctor because Medicare just doesn't cut it and they're frequently being turned away. Ok, off my soap box.