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Thursday, May 19, 2011

One More Day





"One More Day"

We had received the news that my father-in-law Jim had an Anuerysm, which is the bloating or ballooning of an artery.  The good news was that it hadn't ruptured, so it was operable, albeit a difficult operation of bypassing the artery.  The operation was made more difficult by the fact that he had been fighting other ailments that negatively affected his breathing.  Sadly, he would never recover from that surgery.

When I first saw Jim following the surgery, the prognosis was not good.  He was in a coma, and it would take some time to determine the level of damage to the brain.  I looked at this man who I admired, and greatly respected over the years, and thought to myself he has probably seen his last normal day.  He remained in a coma for several months, his brain was deamed to have no activity, and he later passed on with his wife, and his daughter by his side.

The night of his surgery, I went home and reflected on what just happened.  It really hit me hard that the man I had known: an all state athlete, top executive at Ohio Bell, avid family man and grandfather, was probably never going to experience another normal day.  I started to reflect on all the things that we take for granted in life, and all the things that I would miss if I was told that I had one more day to live.  The poem "One More Day" just flowed out from that inspiration.

Recently the video for "One More Day" was used in a closing presentation to a convention of physicians in Los Angelas.  The presenter, spoke to the physicians about the "human side of medicine", and how the patients they are dealing with may just be a "number" to them, but that same person is the world to someone else.  She challenged them to put themselves in their patient's shoes, and think about what they would do if they discovered that they only had "One More Day" to live.  The convention ended with the video, and the speaker received a standing ovation.  A fitting tribute for the man who inspired the words, and my friend who put together a beautiful video to honor those words. 

I hope it touches your heart.


"One More Day"


As the sun was setting
what would you say
If the rest of your life was just one day?
Would you wish for things in a material way,
Reach out to friends, or quietly pray?

Having it all seemed the only way,
But I'd give it all up for just one day.
That one last chance so I might see
The special gifts that made me "Me".

Like a toddler's hug, or my lover's hands,
The unmistakable sound of grade school bands.
My mother's perfume, my father's style,
Grandma's kitchen and grandpa's smile.

The gift of charity, the feel of pain,
The silence of dawn, the summer rain.
Family gatherings, or private tears.
A son's good humor, a daughter's soft hair.

A dog's wet nose, the miracle of a seed.
The compassion of others in moments of need.
The roar of laughter, the hush of a crowd.
An honest day's work, and feeling so proud.

Toasting fond memories, and learning to forget
The heartaches endured, and all the regrets.
Finding my passion, and one true love.
Finding forgiveness, and the Lord above.

So much I discovered as I traveled life's way.
What I wouldn't give for just....one....day.


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