All of us, regardless of any superficial quality, have one thing in common: moments which cause the earth to halt on its axis. If we are lucky, these moments are few in far between. If we are unable to find a four-leaf clover, these moments may be frequent. Many experiences can pause the rotation of the Earth. Whether it be death, a call you thought you’d never receive, or words that can never be taken back. Despite the events that lead to this fleeting time continuum, they all have the power to stop our lives in a hint of a second. And often, we never recover.
The summer before my senior year of high school, I witnessed the death of my best friend’s father. It was sudden, and unexpected. The result of kidney failure. Unfortunately, I was visiting family at the time and was unable to make it to the funeral. Because I was in NY city, my family and I held a sign that read “WE LOVE BRENNA” on the Today Show. Brenna is my best friend, of course. She was thankful for the gesture, but no number of signs or best wishes could make the Earth spin again. She was stuck in an unmoving world, that didn’t rev back up until a year or so later. And even when Earth decided to circle the sun again, it circled a little slower than before – it’s pace had forever changed.
I am currently stopped on a continent that has decided to rest. The world I live in is paused, as I sit in the “surgery waiting area” at UK hospital. My father is upstairs, and the doctors are prepping him so they can open his heart. A heart that has cared for my siblings and I, my mother, and many others along the way. I have the utmost faith that the doctors will take care of his loving heart, but my world will not spin until he wakes up from this procedure.
As I stare out the windows that line this uneasy room, I can’t help but thank God for the downpour.
This post was mainly used for me to vent– to let out the steam that has built up since I heard the status of my father’s blocked arteries. But I also hope it can touch someone who is going through a situation that has left them breathless. To those of you who are at a breaking point or a halt, just know you are alone.
Because, all of us, regardless of any superficial quality, have one thing in common: moments which cause the earth to halt on its axis.
