Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands (2 Corinthians 5:1) We stopped by the hospital to see her tonight. Family and a few close friends surrounded her. She was so thin and pale. Her wig delicately perched on top of her tiny frame as always. It was the most pronounced thing I noticed about her. If I hadn’t known better it would have seemed she was having a fabulous time. She told us that she had undergone a scan today and was waiting to hear the results. We left her room and traveled to the north tower and checked in on him. He was awake and lying flat on his back. He had a procedure on his heart today. The doctors were unable to do all that they had hoped at this time. As he talked with us, my attention was drawn to a small dish of strawberry shortcake that balanced on top of the covers he lay beneath. He teasingly asked us if we would like to share it with him. He related the events of his surgery and ended by confiding the results of her scan today. The news was not good. She has only a short time left. Hospice is going to be the next phase for her. She will be wheeled to her life partner’s room when their son arrives later from his own

He was crying… I sat on the edge of the bed debating whether or not an offer of help would be welcomed. I waited… listened… He continued the demanding cries only a two-week old infant can make. I knew from experience our firstborn daughter had to be exhausted. Tired from her flight and all the excitement of our family seeing her son for the first time. I decided to go and peek in and see if she wanted me to take him. She was definitely crying as she sat there looking helpless. Cradling him she spoke the words of the young, frustrated, overwhelmed mother. My mind flashed back to a time I sat on the edge of the bed rocking her that first night home thinking, “What in the world have I gotten myself into?” I stepped into the dark room and asked if she wanted me to take him so she could get some sleep. She couldn’t answer quickly enough. She knew she could entrust him completely to me and she could finally allow herself to sink into a deep and uninterrupted sleep.  I scrambled for bottles and diapers and closed the door quietly. He was all mine! The moment I’d waited for so long had finally arrived. All he needed was a calm hand to pat that bubble up out of his little tummy and snuggle him close. I had spent hours, days and months praying for this child coming into the world; a precious little boy. But,