Break Out the Day Planner

We plan the most important decisions, days and events of our life.  Or at least we try to.  Some plan how many children to have, and when to have them.  Most plan their weddings and if you are a woman (and some men), you probably started planning it in elementary school (I know I did, even had a folder I kept till my mid 20′s).   If we are lucky we get to plan what job we have and when to move on to the next job, or when to retire.  We plan out where we live as best we can. 

There are some decisions I can make very fast…but I can take an hour to pick out a name for a character I create in an on-line game me and my husband play.  It took me three hours to pick out my eye glasses, three years to pick out curtains, and 10 years to pick a color to paint my walls (I have only managed to decide on the bathroom so far).   If you think I am joking, then you haven’t met me or been shopping with me for glasses or paint.  The curtains I blame on my husband…he insisted on very thick, functional curtains and I wanted pretty flowery ones.  What did we settle on?  Sage green with tassels. 

If we spend time planning other parts of our lives, why is it so strange to plan the last important decision of our life? (disclaimer…only with regards to death with dignity, of course)

After trying to accommodate us by avoiding birthdays, looking at travel plans and school schedules, my brother picked his day and the planning began.   Yet, it was surreal, planning his last day with us and the celebration of his life.   We  grieved while we talked casually with him and each other  about food, preparations, programs, music.  He did not want a service but I and others told him the service was for those left behind, not for him.   We needed this for each other.  As strange as our conversations felt, looked, and sounded, for me it gave me a sense normalcy, just planning any other family event, right?  Though there were times it was awkward and I would think,

“Am I really talking to my brother about his death?” 

“Did I just ask my mom to bring her paper plates to my brother’s last dinner?  I am thinking of being green at a time like this?”

“Am I really using a toothpick to scrape the medicine out of the capsules for my brother’s last drink?”  

But, by planning for his death we were able to give his life the attention he deserved.  Probably over 100 people visited him in the last week, and he received many, many letters.  People were able to tell him how he impacted them, share stories and laugh.  If he had doubts at all that his life had meaning, those doubts should have been washed away by the downpour of love, gratitude, and kindness from those he touched. 

How wonderful is that?

Translating love.

I am reading a book about the language of love, how people express their love for others and I think how people interpret how they are loved.  The book says there are 5 ways we express love:

1. Affirmation
2. Quality Time
3. Gifts
4. Acts of Service
5. Physical Touch

My way, not sure yet.  Depending on the person I think I do all of these.

How does my brother express love, I think acts of service or quality time.   It is definitely not affirmations or physical touch (he is a one arm hug kinda guy).  He gives laughter, bakes, remembers small details about someone, helps in times of need. 

Right now we shower him in all forms of love.  We are drowning him with it, desperately trying to find ways to show we care, how much we care.   He is probably tired of it some days, overwhelmed with the level of attention.   But I can’t help thinking what a privilege we have to be able to do this.  Even if we are going a little overboard and annoying the crap out of him.

And while he is flooded with all our waves of love I also think how lost he must be thinking he no can no longer show his love.   He really hasn’t lost it, but he probably thinks he has.    He can no longer do as much for others, but he can still give quality time.  He feels like people must be bored spending time with him now.  What he does not realize is the time we spend with him now is so important, at least to me.  None of it is wasted.  Even if we just sit and watch episodes of Glee.  Every second is worth it, he is worth it.

He knows how much we are all crying, how that must crush him.  When he has spent so much time showing us his love by making us laugh, it must drive him crazy to hear our hearts breaking.

Pause for the cause.

Normally I am a very impatient person. I hate waiting for anything.  I usually multitask all day long, physically and mentally. 

I have patience in one place in my life, helping my brother.   Everything my brother does seems to be in slow motion.  It is so hard to watch him do things for himself, I just want to reach over and do it for him.  Not because I am impatient but because I don’t want to see him struggle.   Waiting for him to get in or out of the car, sit, stand, walk, feels like time has stopped.  He pauses in motion…does he need help, is he thinking of his next move, is he willing his limbs to cooperate?  I try to always ask first, “do you need help?”  I don’t want to assume.  Sometimes he says yes.  Other times he says he can do it so I wait till he is done.

Helping him is the most important task of that day.  It is the only task of the moment.  I not only physically wait, but my thoughts slow down too.  Everything focuses to being in the moment.  At times it is almost peaceful, everything I do and think in my multitasking world pauses.  There is so little I can do for him, but I can make him the center of my attention for that moment.  Then, when we are done with that task.  I step away, take a deep breath…and all my multitasking tendencies come back in a rush.

If it were possible I would patiently wait for him for him for the rest of my life.