I was late to my doctor appointment today, and now I know why. I was meant to encounter a grieving widow in the lobby who needed to tell her story. I overheard her at the counter say that she was early to her appointment for fear of being late to a second appointment meeting a termite inspector at her house. She said her husband had just died and she was under stress trying to managing her household appointments. The woman at the counter did not acknowledge her loss. Instead she told her that just because she arrived early didn’t mean she could be seen early. I turned to the elderly woman and said I was so sorry to hear about the death of her husband. She burst into tears and proceeded to share her husband’s tragic death with me. He died on Thanksgiving, alone in a care facility, suffering from Parkinson’s and succumbed to COVID-19. She said they were married 57 years and he was a great man who didn’t deserve his tragic death. She lamented that she was only allowed to visit him four times this year because of the pandemic. He lost his ability to speak a couple months ago so they couldn’t talk on the phone. She said he mouthed the words, “torture” to his nurse on several occasions. This disturbed her most because she said he was always happy and didn’t complain. It crushed her to imagine him that way, and she cursed the pandemic for her inability to comfort him. She was so proud of his life and shared that he had designed aircraft. He was friends with Neil Armstrong and John Denver. She said he designed one of John Denver’s planes. I wanted so badly to hug her, but I held her grief in my heart and told her that I would hold her husband’s memory there as well. 2020 has been tragic on so many fronts, but the loneliness and isolation, especially at death, has been true torture. Sending love into the world for all those souls who suffer, died, and are grieving. The blessing I offered the widow was for her husband’s perpetual light to wrap her in love. This calmed her a bit and I could feel her imagining it with me. Bless her. May it be of benefit to all who hear their story.
top of page
bottom of page