November 23: An Apology, Mission Accomplished, Vickie

Allow me to apologize for my blogging absence these last two days.  I had to take a little vacation from Saint Marty in order to finish my annual Christmas essay.  Perhaps I wasn't missed.  Perhaps nobody was worried.  If you were concerned about me, I apologize.  If you weren't concerned, screw you.

Just kidding.

My Christmas essay is done.  I finished it last night around midnight.  I'm so relieved.  Last Sunday, I was in a panic because I had exactly two paragraphs written.  Tonight, after I'm done typing this post, I'm going to have one of my "special" hot chocolates (Kahlua and Swiss Miss) to celebrate.  And tomorrow afternoon, I will be going to the radio station to record it.  Then it will be out of my hair.  Figuratively, of course.  I don't have much hair to be out of, if you catch my drift.

Tonight's happiness is a little bittersweet for me, however.  The Book of Common Prayer says, "In the midst of life, we are in death."  My wife just spoke with a friend of hers on the phone.  Vickie has been very ill for quite some time.  About two months ago, she announced she was cancer-free.  This evening, after a trip to the hospital, Vickie was told she has two or three days left to live.  The cancer has returned and metastasized.

I don't know Vickie.  I've only spoken with her on the phone a couple of times in passing.  She has been calling my wife almost every day now.  Vickie is very frightened.  She told my wife this evening that she doesn't want to go to sleep because she might not wake up.  Vickie's also been talking about things on her bucket list she's not going to be able to do.  Like ride a roller coaster at an amusement park.  Or pet a pig.

Vickie has no family.  She's been a ward of the state since she was 18 years old.  There's nobody close to her to mourn her passing, except her nurses.  The people closest to her are phone contacts, like my wife.  Tonight, when she was saying goodbye to my wife, Vickie said, "Promise that you'll pet a pig for me."

Saint Marty's asking you to pray for Vickie tonight.  Pray for her peace and happiness.

This one's for Vickie