This is a repost from last yr. My friend is in dire straits right now. I can't seem to focus on much more right now other than them and my job. I have no funny stories tonight or pictures of the barn progress. I will tell ya Critter has been amazing and understanding. I have not been to the farm much lately.
This post is about something that has been weighing on my mind for awhile and it has nothing to do with the Critter or the horses, barn or any of those things.
This is about life. I should tell you I have a full time job in accounting and I have been at my current place for 3 years. When I accepted this job I never knew I would find myself in the situation I am in. I have found myself in a place where I see my bosses as friends. One of my friends is in dire straights and I feel helpless. I see this man as a role model. I have so much admiration for him I can't begin to tell you. This is a man that faced situations that most people would have given up or drown in their own self pity. I love hearing his stories of all his travels around the world. I just really enjoy talking to him and hearing his views on life. He is a man that you are better off for having met him. This is a man that is in the battle for his life due to that dreaded of most words-Cancer. I am not his family but I know them. I do not know him as well as others. I have only known him a short time. I have only known him during work hours of the week. This is a man that to me we all can learn a lesson from. A man to me that is fair and very giving, wise and strong but will melt you heart when you see this man with his puppy. This is a man that is amazing! This man has been in a wheelchair for as long as I have been alive but has never stopped. He has traveled the world, been a civic leader, athlete and so much more. Its strange how the more I got to know him the wheelchair wasn't something I saw. I think that people know others on so many different levels that one person can be described by others in completely different ways. My description of him is of a insightful, kind,strong,intelligent,giving, humorous,hardworking,admirable and unstoppable!!!!!!
In talking to him lately I see a vulnerability in him. His seems so weak. I have never seen before and it make me so scared for him. His doctors have given him a timeline. He has fought this with such courage and I want to believe that he will be here for many years to come and this is my prayer for him and his family.
What do you say to someone who is facing this kind of illness? How can you let them know that if they need something, anything that all they have to do is ask? How do you let them know that they have made a profound impact on you? How do you let them know that you will be forever grateful for having known them?
Hi.
ReplyDeleteI don't know for sure, but I've always believed the best approach is the direct one.
Tell him.
Tell him how much you enjoy his intelligence, his humor, his strength. Tell him that if he needs something -- even if it seems small -- that he should tell you, that it would make you feel stronger to be strong for him.
You have my sympathies. You really do. It's hard to want to be there for someone who is going through a hard time, hard to not be able to be sure of what to do or say.
Pearl