Wife And Death

Hello dear readers!

You know, sometimes it’s very easy to get bogged down in the minutiae of ones own humdrum little existence.

It can be incredibly tempting to believe that our own problems are the be all and the end all. To look inward, at the contents of our own little bubbles, and imagine that that bubble encompasses all of the world.

This week provided a stark reminder that it really, really, isn’t so.

All About Tina
For those of you that have had the slightly dubious pleasure of following these self indulgent scrawlings for any length of time will know that your rather lovely blogger is married to a rather lovely lady named Tina.

I tend to mention her quite often, mainly because she is a major part of my life (and in no part from any stated or implied coercion, no, definitely not that). She has been my absolute rock throughout the last turbulent year and her support is something I will always need and always be able to rely on. This time it’d different though. This time the blog is all about her, and there’s a somewhat scary reason for that.

This week, Tina saw someone die.

Tale Of The Unexpected
Now as Tina has worked in care of one sort of another for several years now, death is not something she is as unaccustomed to as a person perhaps should be. Mainly these unfortunate passings have been of those reaching the end of their lives for one reason or another. Sick people, or people of very advanced age. Mainly the death has been not wholly unexpected. This time it was different.

She was at work, that much is true but the incident happened just over the road from her workplace at a local shop (the type that sell a range of basic groceries, alongside those treats that should probably be ignored by a Slimming World member). It was there that a man died. On the street. With no warning, and no time for anyone to do something.

Tina wasn’t a direct witness to the collapse, but, along with a colleague, she was one of the first on the scene along with two police officers who had been passing in an unmarked car. The officers started CPR and an ambulance was called but ultimately their efforts seem to have been for naught.

I can only imagine what Tina and the others that were present went through watching this well kept man; older, but seemingly healthy, collapse and die there and then. It must be horrible to see a life snuffed out like that, so suddenly, so completely without warning.

It certainly shook Tina to the core. 

Give It A Rest

Picking her up from work that night there were plenty of tears and a much needed phone call to make sure her mum was alright. I think it’s still affecting her now although, an observer might be pushed to see external signs of that. I know my wife well though and her, um, invitation, to join her at church this morning spoke volumes (in the end neither of us went. The return of the snow a sure sign to me that God does not appreciate singing, prayers, and shouted ‘hallelujah’s on what is after all his day of rest. I mean sleeping thought that is hard. I know. I’ve tried). 

It also led her to voice an opinion I share with her. That life should be lived.

We are here for such a short time, and in my own atheistic world view, that’s it. We need to squeeze what we can out of that limited span. This doesn’t mean we should necessarily be throwing ourselves out of aeroplanes, or any other such adrenaline addicted activity. No, in my not all that humble opinion, we should just learn to squeeze every bit of joy out of every little moment, whether we’re watching telly, walking the dog, or just having a cuppa.

Do Unto Others
It is these seemingly mundane activities that fill our lives so, to get the most out of it we should pay attention to them, cherish them, and yes, enjoy them. This poor, unknown, unnamed man who’s life ended so suddenly also leads me to think about the people in our lives. Our loved ones. Our families. Our friends. Even the people that we just meet in passing. Who we share that lift with. Who we sit next to on the bus. Who we pass in the street.

Everyone of these people touches our lives in some way, however slight, however briefly. We should cherish those we have chosen to have in our lives and, if by some small act of kindness, some moment of acknowledgement, we cannot make someone’s brief existence that little bit better, then we should at least take extra pains not to make it any worse.

Life, after all, is too short.


Until next time...