Today was a work at home day, which is one of the fabulous perks of my job. It happened to be a lovely fall day, and on my lunch hour I worked in the yard, bagging up sticks and leaves that had fallen from the last big storm - fun work on a day like today.
I went inside. The phone rang. I could see it was from my son, Tim.
"Mom, I'm at Abington Hospital."
All mothers will recognize the sudden sick feeling in the pit of the stomach. Oh no.
"James texted me. The doctors say that his mother has hours or days left. I wanted to be here with him."
Oh. A sudden shameful sense of relief. Tim's OK.
But James' mom is not.
I don't really know James' mom well, but James and Tim have been friends since seventh grade, and I have often been grateful for their friendship. Kids need some extra sets of parents sometimes. James' parents have been that extra set for Tim for the last dozen years or so.
I knew that James' mom has been battling cancer for the last five years, and I knew that the prognosis had been poor for the last few months. Even so, this is surprising.
I am very glad that James felt that he could ask Tim to be with him at this time. I am proud of my son.
I am relieved that the bad news is not directly about me and my loved ones, and yet filled with grief for another family.
And I know that the phone call that changes everything could happen at any time. Any day.
Not today, though. Not today.
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