Uncle Harry, Part 2 healing while dying

purple turtle

Part 2 begins on November 5th when we received the call that Uncle Harry was being taken to the emergency room for a fall and bleeding. This was the day after we finally had power restored after Hurricane Sandy. We had just finished restocking the refrigerator with food for both ourselves and our two dogs. We were at the emergency room not knowing what would happen in the next couple of weeks. At the age of 94, he had never had any surgeries and he looked younger than his age. However, his body had been failing him for quite some time. He was very keenly aware of what was going on around him but had pretty much lost his ability to communicate verbally. He also had no faith in spirit or in love. He felt that he had been hurt too many times.

Every day as he lay in the hospital, my family and I experienced the miracles that can accompany death. One day, it was his roommate Ralph that showed incredible kindness to him during the middle of the night. Another time, the Rabbi showed up to comfort him right before he lost all conscious  awareness. Sometimes, it was the laughing and crying that we shared in front of him that helped all of us to heal from a lifetime of repressing grief. We kept waiting and keeping our own counsel in the midst of  the everyday demands of jobs, bill paying, dogs needing feedings,  and family and friends.We truly were  existing in  two worlds. We were in the world of the living and the dying,  consciousness and unconsciousness and ultimately experiencing  being truly awake or asleep. What a ride.
Part 3 to follow.