And this is what I learned...
I held on to her arm and her hand. I closed my eyes and tried my best to talk to her, but all she could do was point her finger to the door. I knew what that meant. A few minutes later, I felt her leave. Everything in the room got a little brighter... I looked out the window and knew right then that she had left. Her body was no longer struggling to breathe. It was nothing more than a vessel. As we all are.
In trying to figure out what the holy-hell to do with myself, I think back to that day. When she was there, giving every damn thing she had to hold on for even a few more minutes, there is only a few things that really matter. It was what her and grandpa did. It's what I realized is ultimately the most important thing in my life.
Before I die, I not only want to have a good story to tell I want to accomplish these three things... Build a Family. Build a home for my family. Help others build the same. Everything in-between is just pages in a book.
Tonight, I stopped by to grab a bite to eat from a fast food joint. I saw a homeless guy laying on the ground next to his wheelchair. I bought a few extra burritos and parked in front to give him some food. Looking at his almost empty bottle of vodka, various blankets and random things, I realized everything else in this world didn't matter to this guy. I got him back in the wheelchair with the help of another passerby that saw me struggling with him.
He was lost. He was scared of the bags of blankets tied to the handles. He had no clue what was happening. In a weird way, it didn't seem so unfamiliar to me.
As I drove off, I looked back at him and something took a hold of me. This isn't about realizing that we all need to help one another. Dead horse is beaten... This is about realizing that at the pace I'm going right now in life, I could only hope that a random person would help me if I was ever in a position that I couldn't help myself.
It's time to start realizing what's important for our own lives. Damnit...