A Single Phone Call

A single phone call can change your life or at least your day.

Yesterday morning, a Saturday, I rose at 8am, read my Bible, showered and headed downstairs to start the day. I googled a couple of websites as I planned to cook ribs and a brisquet in the afternoon on my Big Green Egg and let the aromas make my neighbors hate me.

I ate 3 eggs, logged them in Myfitnesspal, put on my shoes and was almost out the door on a walk with Sandra and Will. The day was picture perfect with a beautiful blue sky and low humidity.

A great day to be outside.

When I returned I would wake up the girls to have them help me clean and wash the van to prepare it to sell. They would be so happy.

My day was planned and would end with me wiping bbq sauce off my face and unsnapping my pants to create more space to stuff more ribs.

Then the phone rang at 9:11am.

Hmmm, interesting. I just realized the time.

Because my father’s next call was to 911.

My mother was having difficulty breathing. And she’s the one with much better health.

All of the day’s plans faded to black as Sandra and I hustled over to my parents. Come to find out, my mom had fallen the day before and the fall cracked 3 ribs and punctured her lung.
I pray and believe that she is on the mend now and I guess that it makes me feel better that her breathing problems were a result of an accident and not just poor health.

But it did make me realize again that life is fragile and our plans can change in a nanosecond. I waited helplessly under artificial lighting and subarctic temperatures all day in the hospital and while the day did end up being about ribs, they weren’t the Sweet Baby Ray ribs my appetite craved.

Another day, another plan.