Between Worlds

           I have been rewatching the series “This is Us” which jumps back and forth from childhood to adulthood and intertwines stories of not only the five Pearsons (Jack, Rebecca, Randall, Kate and Kevin) but others whose paths cross with the five main characters – some becoming main characters more than Jack).  The constant flashbacks usually drive me nuts but I have been looking at this series in a different frame of mind.

          I have only one and a half episodes left.  Rebecca now has dementia and the three children are proposing ideas of how to deal with her care.  They don’t have the gospel.  They don’t pray about their decisions.  They have never done role play the way that we had in my family.  We made decisions based on mom’s desires but also prayed about decisions we made.  For many we knew the answers before the question was asked.

          The biggest one came when the doctors had approached us with the decision of cutting off her leg or putting her on dialysis or perhaps it was time to consider hospice care.  Hospice care.  We all agreed before the doctor walked away.  The recent in-law to join the family was taken aback.  How could we possibly make such a life-changing decision without even thinking about it.  Truth is we had thought about it.  Long before Mom got dementia she had told us that she didn’t ever want to go on dialysis.  It was her wish. 

          Having a missing leg would have been devastating as she was not in the frame of mind to understand why it was missing.  It would have to be explained to her several times a day.  She would have been miserable.  Hospice provided a pleasantness which we all witnessed as she would fade in and out with the other side.  We knew she was happy.  But that is how we were raised.  We were raised not only believing in God but confiding in Him and allowing Him to be a part of our decisions. 

          We have our free agency.  He helps us to be free.  He allows us to feel peace. I wish everybody else had the same closeness that we have in my family.  We are not perfect but our upbringing has certainly made a tremendous different that I don’t see very often.  I wish we were part of the majority.  I wish everyone had that.