Fighting Death

He doesn’t want to die. Though a man of faith, baptized in infancy, church-goer throughout his life, eternal life is not something to be rushed, in his opinion. Even in his advanced age, he is holding on to every. single. day. 

In end-stage kidney failure, this brave man made the bold decision to move forward with peritoneal dialysis. Every night, his bedtime routine includes hooking up to the tubing connected to the dialysis machine that occupies the table to his left. While his wife quietly breathes on his right, the dialysis machine hums on his left. Every. Single. Night. 

This is the fight for life for my dad. I so admire his bravery and courage. He does not complain about the inconvenience of it all or the catheter that protrudes from his stomach. He is waging a bigger fight. He does it not only for himself, but for each of us. It is because he loves us deeply, just as he always has. 

Death takes many forms. It creeps in and sneaks up on us, paralyzing us when we are not alert. ‘Tis the season to look for the Light, and trust that we have the strength and resilience to rise up. It is in each of us, the will to live. Not to just keep breathing, but to live full of life and spirit, and reaching out to those around us.

If you are looking for inspiration to love, to look around you and find a reason to push forward, to live each day, I hope you find a person to inspire you. Someone who will be your fighter until you can open your eyes and see the Light for yourself.