A Life Changing Moment

Do you ever have those flashes of warning that your life is about to change?

Two weeks ago was just like any other day. I had been up late the night before working on paperwork needed to file taxes. Rick snuck out quietly in the morning without waking me. I'm sure he kissed me goodbye, but I don't remember it. I took the kids to school, then settled in to finish up that paperwork so I could relax over the weekend.

The phone rang once, early, and someone left a voice mail. I assumed it was a bill collector and didn't bother to fetch the phone from the bedroom. Then shortly after ten, the phone rang again. I ran to grab it, but it stopped ringing before I got there. I fully expected it to be Rick, as he called every morning on his break to check in, see how the day was going, check on sales, say good morning if I hadn't seen him before work, and let me know his schedule for the day. Since I missed the call, I listened to the voice mail from earlier, yup, I was right, a bill collector. The phone rang again while it was still in my hand. I answered, expecting to hear my sweetie.

Someone identified themselves as from the hospital, asking if John Deere had called me. They hadn't. (I later learned they had Rick's cell phone number, not mine, and his was in his locker at work.)

I was calmly told that Rick had collapsed at work and was transported by ambulance to the hospital. I asked if he was breathing, they replied they were currently helping him breathe. I was told to come to the Emergency Room.

"Do you have someone to drive you?" Cold chills ran down my spine. For the first time, it occurred to me it may be serious. Up to that point, I assumed it was pneumonia or a diabetic complication, something that rest and proper meds would fix.

As I had just thrown jeans and sweatshirt over jammies to drive the kids to school, I quickly changed clothes, brushed teeth and applied deodorant. Returning the deodorant to the shelf, out of habit I grabbed the perfume spray next to it and quickly sprayed myself.

Suddenly I had a flash of fear. I remember thinking the words "This may be the last time I routinely prepare to leave the house. This could be one of those life-changing moments."

Little did I know exactly how true that thought was to be.