Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Breathe (08/19/10)
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TITLE: Breath in, Breath out | Previous Challenge Entry
By Karen Thompson
08/25/10 -
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I was witness my niece grab firm hold of her first breath, neither my sister nor I realizing her daughter would witness her mother’s last breath within 48 months. Then again, less than 2 hours ago was yet another final breath. This woman, young, vibrant and beautiful, had given birth to her daughter not quite 48 months before today. I was hesitant to write these words. No one likes tragedy. If I could add comic relief I would, but could come up with none.
These 2 women shared much in addition to dying so young. Both had daughters form the same man. Both lived active lives anchored in healthy eating which made even blame at some legitimate source for death’s viable. They never even drank coffee.
Death is so final. I still miss my sister even though she died nearly 10 years ago. Every once in a while I clearly envision those elongate fingers she would stroke her daughter’s hair with. I try not to remember her final 48 hours of breath. Hers was not an easy death. I even had called a friend to begin praying that God would speed her death. I never anticipated I would ever ask nor need to ask such a question. How odd it is when perspectives and beliefs can change so abruptly during times of crisis.
It was my sister’s final breath, that ‘death rattle’ which seemed such an unnatural process with the silence of all those prolonged times between her exhale and that next breathe in. Each of us in her room began holding our own breaths. We didn’t mean to do that. When it was evident there would not be another inhalation, that silence was haunting. Death is so final.
Breathe. God’s creation, this human body. I have no idea how many times I have breathed in and out since I woke this morning with my lungs and blood and heart and muscles keeping this 46 year old body able to function so effectively day after day. It makes me wonder why it seemed like such an important question this morning whether I wore the black or the purple shirt? Maybe that’s the comic relief. Regardless, today I have breath. Today I breath in and I breath out.
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However, the bright spot in all of this, is that your niece has had you, (I hope) in her life. An extension of her mother.