Monday, May 29, 2017

FINDING A PRE-ANNIVERSARY NOTE:

TODAY I RAN ACROSS THE FOLLOWING NOTE I HAD WRITTEN TO MYSELF ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2016---ONLY DAYS AWAY FROM OUR 56TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. I HEREIN SHARE IT WITH YOU:

 "One lovely, late-afternoon day, April 6 of 2013, when all seemed well, Bob fell into a cardiac arrest. Such a shocking, violent event! In an instant he was gone... all functions of his body were completely stopped. He could so easily have been away from my immediate presence... in his workshop, in his garden... or anywhere but with me. The great miracle was that he was present at my side, and I was there to immediately provide the necessary cardiac compressions until the EMTs arrived. Miraculously, the EMTs had just been trained on a special new machine that greatly enhanced Bob's chances for survival. God was looking out for us in every way that afternoon.

"And then one deep-winter day in the following January, Bob fell again into complete cardiac arrest. He was in his easy chair, reaching for a cup of coffee from my hand, when it occurred. We would again express our thanks for the miracle that I could be so close at hand to do the emergency compressions until the EMTs arrived. From there, my Bob was fitted with a built-in heart defibrillator, and that has been another miracle. His condition through the ups and downs of the few ensuing years, so far, did change life for him (indeed for both of us). Still, Bob--who is our family treasure with his caring and his character and humor--has remained with us, and we are grateful for God's favor and for every bonus day, week, month and year that God has given us together from that day forward.

"We hope for more, and though we realize we have no guarantees, we will not waste a moment of our gift of life complaining about the end we know will come. That would be an insult to the extra time that we've been given; and we will celebrate our lives together going forward.  

--Rose Moore, Sept. 6, 2016...  Still happily walking the trail hand-in-hand with Bob."
                                        _______________

NOW ON THIS DATE ON WHICH I REDISCOVERED THE NOTE--MAY 29, 2017-- I MUST SHARE THE FOLLOWING ADDENDUM:   "Sadly, we will not be together on our 57th anniversary. My dear Bob passed away April 18, 2017 at Tri Point Medical Center after several weeks there. So many, many people miss him... family, friends, community and me. For me the memories are sweet; and they are filled with love and humor, as he was."---rmm