May 6: A Wink, Saying Goodbye, Last Three Days

...Wilbur had already decided how he would carry the egg sac--there was only one way possible.  He carefully took the little bundle in his mouth and held it there on top of his tongue.  He remembered what Charlotte had told him--that the sac was waterproof and strong.  It felt funny on his tongue and made him drool a bit.  And of course he couldn't say anything.  But as he was being shoved into the crate, he looked up at Charlotte and gave her a wink.  She knew he was saying good-bye in the only way he could.  And she knew her children were safe.

Wilbur is leaving his best friend forever in this paragraph.  He knows she is dying, and he also knows he must leave her to perish alone.  It is an incredibly sad moment, coming directly after one of the happiest moments--Wilbur's triumph at the Fair.  He has no choice.  Charlotte is doomed, and he must go back to his home in Zuckerman's barn.

I usually avoid asking for prayers for myself.  I am very lucky, for the most part.  I have a job.  I have a healthy family and a roof over my head.  I'm better off than a majority of the population of this planet.  However, I am having trouble this week.  I must say goodbye to my current job and group of friends.  I have no choice.  I must leave.  And that is very difficult for me.

I really love the people with whom I work.  I love helping the patients.  Above all, I love the fact that, even when I'm at my job, I'm home in a way.  For 17 years, I've worked at this place, with most of these people.  One of my best friends is my coworker.  And I have to say goodbye to all of this.

I'm already a little melancholy.  By the end of the week, I'm probably going to be utterly despondent for at least a few days.  Of course, I'm nervous about starting a new occupation, meeting new people, forging a new life.  All that sort of terrifies me.  That's why I need help.

Please, say a prayer for Saint Marty this week.  He's going to need a lot of help returning to the barn by himself, without his friends.

New job, here I come