Escorted In and Out

I think we all have seen stories about people facing the end of life who wait for a special event: a birthday, a visit, a baby's birth, Christmas.

I have seen those stories all my life and assumed that the dying person wanted to be present. I still think my assumption is valid but I saw a snippet of video this week which added complexity I had never thought of.

A priest who works as a hospital chaplain described his visit to a woman who was expected to die within a day. He spoke with the family, prayed and administered last rites expecting that would be the end of the interaction.

The following week he was surprised to see the woman still on the list for visiting. He questioned whether he had the correct list. He did and the doctor assured him the woman had less than a day left.

On the third week the woman was still there, still unconscious. The family was no longer quite so attentive, the TV was on and they looked tired.

The priest asked the nurse what she thought was happening with this woman and the nurse said "Oh, she's not going anywhere, a new grandbaby is due any day now and she won't be going anywhere until baby arrives"

True to the nurse's prediction, the babe arrived, unconscious granny was informed that the baby was here and safe and the lady soon passed away.

The priest commented that we are all escorted in and out of this life, he also commented that a good number of us will reach heaven on the prayers of our grandmothers.

End of Life will be a mystery until we experience it but I have to agree with the priest: the motivator for the granny in the story, who was unconscious the whole time and never met the baby must have been much more powerful than curiosity and more powerful than a snuggle with a newborn.

What do you think kept her going? and who would you like to escort you out of life?

Lady Buffy-Aloka of Narwee

 

I had planned for my next dog to be named Aloka after the peace dog who is walking (was walking?) across America with the monks.

Unlucky for me, this wee poppet knows her name is Buffy so I gave her an aristocratic hyphenated name. I think it's a tad classier than Mountbatten-Windsor.

I had made an application for her and received no response so had given up when the message came asking if I would like to meet her. The foster carer was a lovely lady and Buffy was her first foster. She told me she nearly kept her, maybe thta's why it took so long.

Buffy has been in foster care for a few months and had a few teeth out as well as a fatty lump removed so that's that taken care of.

The lady from the shelter insisted on speaking to Keaghan because it's policy to speak to every household member. After she made the call she was full of angst because she feels she is always awkward on the phone. I started telling her that the first time I made a call to a stranger I stared at the phone for 15 minutes beforehand but now I can call anyone. It was meant to be 20 seconds of encouragement but before I finished speaking she had walked away and I was left talking into the air and feeling stupid.

 

Taking the hint

Well, dear reader, I was not chosen as the new guardian of the wee dog Poppy. On the same day I applied for her, there was a call out for a foster carer for a 16 year old Jack Russell. The owner has cancer and isn't able to care for the dog but may eventually be in a position to bring it home. Bizarrely the vet had suggested euthanasia. The loss of a long time companion would be just be salt in the cancer wound. Not ideal for anyone.

I volunteered straight away and the lady from Jack Russell rescue thought it would be preferable to send the little one to me as they are uncertain how it would like to be in a multi dog household. With me it would have only dog status.

The owner was going to call me on the weekend but never did so either she's decided to rehome/ foster somewhere else or she can't bear to say goodbye to the dog.

Whatever is happening I hope it's a good outcome for both.

A friend of mine long ago told me that if you have to force something, it's not for you. Reluctantly I am putting aside the quest for a dog and hoping the universe will deliver something even better.

Two dogs?