Who holds the future?

The week is drawing to a close and soon it will be time to say goodbye to my sister and her husband. I'm not looking forward to it. Good byes are never easy and in this case it will be even harder. Both Shirley and Gary have been wonderful, helping us through some of the most difficult times we have ever faced.

I knew that when the time came to discuss Marilyn's future with her that I would need a huge amount of support. That support was there in the form of two loving and caring family members. With the realization that Marilyn needs constant 24 hour care also came the need to face the fact that Marilyn may never spend another night in our home. This was a fact that most everyone but Marilyn had already come to terms with. The time had come to break the news to Marilyn. I left the school early today knowing that this might be the most difficult task I had ever tackled in my life.

Upon entering her room I was greeted with a cheery smile from Marilyn and the words "Bryon, we need to talk about the future" I had no difficulty broaching the subject. With the help of Shirley, what I perceived to be an insurmountable issue became a topic of discussion. Once again Shirley made some key connections between family and medical staff, introducing me to Marilyn's social worker and resident physician.

Next week a family meeting will be held involving both Marilyn, myself and all of her hospital care givers. After a long discussion with Garth, the social worker has helped put my mind at ease concerning the next phase of our journey. Once again I must remember that worrying about the future is totally unnecessary when we can bring our problems to the One who knows what the future holds.

Bryon