Spiritual Intervention

I lost a good friend last week. A lady I had worked with for almost twenty years.  Her funeral was last Saturday.

Originally, I had not planned on going due to my issues with bowel and bladder control.

I almost never leave my home for more than a half hour unless my bowel is empty because if it is not, I am prone to accidents, both urinary and bowel.  At this stage in my recovery, I don't mind too much peeing in my pants, but I really try to avoid pooping in my pants.

The funeral was scheduled to strat at 9 A.M., and though I usually have a bowel movement each day, it is around mid-morning. The thing is, even though I know stool is ready to come out, I can't force it, and have to wait until the body is ready to expel it. So, the consequence is that if I am not near a bathroom during this window of time, I am prone to leak, and sometimes have major accidents.  Similarly, if the stool is ready to come out and I'm not less than two minutes away from a toilet, it would be even more of an embarrassment.

I would have to leave by 6 A.M.  to make to the service on time.  I told myself that I would have to wake up , have a bowel movement and get dressed by 5:45 A.M. for me to consider going.

As it turned out, I woke up at 4:30 A.M., had a bowel movement at 5:00 A.M., and was dressed by 5:30.  But I still considered not going because even though I had a bowel movement, it wasn't complete, and I knew I'd have another one by noontime.

I sarcastically had my friend telling me, "Steve, I woke you up early, got you your bowel movement. Now, come over to say Good-bye to me."

But my friend would never say that.  She would say, "Steve, I got you to wake up early, got you to have a bowel movement.  I would like for you to come and say Good-bye, but if you don't feel up to it, that's okay. I understand."

I decided to go, and decided that I would worry about my bowel movements on my way home, if it came to that.  As it turned out, two other friends who attended the funeral gave me a ride home.

I'd  like to think my friend made it as easy it could be for me to attend.  A form of spiritual intervention.

I'm glad I went.

She had a reassuring smile and hands down, was one of the kindest people I have ever known.  I am going to miss my friend, RA.

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