Just Kidding...I Wish

You ever get one of those “just kidding” phone calls? So Sunday morning at exactly 8:30 on the dot, the clinic called me. It seems that the doctor was wrong yesterday and the radiologist confirmed that Curly’s finger is indeed broken with a “buckle fracture.” That means the bone was forced back over itself. Great! Just what I need, three weeks of trying to keep him from pulling off the tape! He seems to think it’s already better.

Alex, Teach, and Bethany

I was seriously hoping for another “just kidding” call today, but it didn’t come. On Saturday I was heading back from spending a million dollars at Sam’s Club when a call came in from Teach. I punched the button on my cell, intent on making some smart comment. But the tone of her voice stopped me cold. And the words coming out of her mouth made me colder still. “Mom! Alex’s mom had a heart attack and she’s dead!” My mind could not comprehend what she was saying. “What?” I could hear the tears and disbelief in her voice as she repeated the words. And yes, they were the same the second time around. I told her I’d be home in a minute and I snapped my phone shut. I couldn’t believe it!

Alex is Teach’s best friend. Maybe you remember her from the post I wrote about the Artichoke Box. They have been friends since middle school and at 20 they were closer than ever. Her mom was only 53 years old. She was not a particularly close friend, but I counted her anyway. She was an amazingly supportive person who always bought Girl Scout cookies and Tupperware and whatever else my kids were selling.

Teach and I had spent about an hour visiting with her a month ago. She didn’t seem like she was staring death in the face then. On the contrary, we talked about Christmas and Alex’s future and school and marriage and grandkids. All things she will never experience. Just last week she asked Teach if the Dog Walker planned on selling any of his cornstalks this year. Halloween was coming up and she loved that holiday!

I have been walking around like a zombie for the last 36 hours. Why do some people have to face these kinds of challenges? Why Alex? And why not Teach? I’m 46 which is not a whole lot younger than 53. Yet I go about life just assuming that I have 30 or 40 more years of living to do. I hope Alex hugged her mom when she left for work on Saturday. I hope she said, “I love you!” as she ran out to her car. I know she said it often on her cell when she was at my house, asking for just one more hour or one more minute with Teach. We never know when our time on earth will end. Let’s not waste any of it. Tell the ones you love how you feel! Let’s hug a little more, forgive a little more, then when the time comes at 53 or 93, there won’t be any regrets. Because I’m pretty sure that “just kidding” call isn’t coming.

PS We love you and are praying for you, Alex.