Death.......

I was reading from Thomas Wolfe's 1932 collection of short stories, "From Death To Morning" last night.  What an incredible writer he was!   His stories always have some deeper meaning---themes that haunt me and make me think for days and even months following my reading of them.

The story I read yesterday was entitled "Death the Proud Brother".   It is a story that deals with death, and how it is such an important and ubiquitous part of life.  It is not something to be feared or repressed.  It should be accepted.  After all, it is something that we diverse human beings all have in common.  We may think we are very different in color, weight, height, culture, faith, and so on; but we are all going to eventually pass on through the silent halls of death.  Our final moments may come with a crawl or a pounce, but death is unavoidable and natural.

It got me to thinking about those close to me whose deaths I have experienced---my dad, my grandparents, and a few others.  Looking back on those experiences, with the 20/20 hindsight of time, I can say that, while their deaths were a sad time, I realized deep down that it was all part of God's plan.

Of course, I never experienced a death of a loved one that was tragically sudden and unexpected.  That kind of death would necessarily require a longer and more intense period of grieving.

In my dad's case, he was 81 when he died in a hospital bed, his immediate family gathered around.  He had been ill for months, his condition deteriorating daily, until the final moments occurred.

My mom stood at the head of his bed, stroking his brow and speaking soft, loving words.  My brother and I and our wives stood watching, tears slowly falling.  After we heard his last breath, a doctor came to the room to pronounce him dead.  After examining him, she asked, "Would you like me to summon a preacher for you?"

Everyone in the group shook their heads---no.  Except me, that is.  I said I thought it would be helpful to hear some words of faith.



My Mom and Dad, Circa 1943

The man of God appeared a few minutes later.  He asked about dad's life and what kind of man he was.  Then, we all joined hands and the man of God said a meaningful prayer of comfort.  We all agreed later that the man of God had been very helpful to our emotional states.  

My Dad and His Sister, Circa 1940

Death is a proud brother, says Thomas Wolf.  It is a brother of sleep.  It is with us always.

Far and Near.......

Didja' ever see something every day and not really give it much thought?  And then, maybe even years later, stop to examine it closely and discover to your astonishment that the object in question was not at all as you assumed it to be?

Maybe it was lovelier than you thought.....maybe the details of the object, when viewed up close, were incredibly and unexpectedly---even breathtakingly---beautiful or ugly.

Maybe it was another person you had taken for granted for years,  that now you have gotten to know him on a personal level, and found that this person is not as you imagined as you viewed her casually from afar.  Up close, maybe she became alive and unexpectedly vibrant.  Or maybe he disappointed, and was much less than you expected.

Have you ever looked at a part of your own personality---I mean really examined it up close---and found that it is something that, unexpectedly, needs improvement?

Such is the theme of a great short story by Thomas Wolfe, one of America's greatest writers. The name of the story is "Far and Near".     It is included in a collection of his short stories entitled "From Death to Morning".

He is a writer that will make you think deeply about his themes.  I like that very much.