What do you say to someone who is dying. I've often put myself in the situation as the person who has been told that they only have so much time left. Not ever has it been this close to home. Not yet anyways. This is the text I sent my husband after I got off the phone with Mr. Clark.
Michael,
Paul called me today. He sounded feeble..but asked how we were doing first of all. I could tell he had things to say. So I listened as he told me about how the screws that they had put in his leg sheered off. Half in one part of the bone..half in the other. They didn't do surgery because the rod was still keeping things in place. However, he told me that if he had to face a pain like that again, he would go ahead and kill himself. He told me it wasn't looking good and that he needs some sort of hospice at this point...some end of life program. He wants to see you. He said he has a lot of stuff to give you. Things that will just get thrown away when he dies. I assured him that we will be by to see him next week. I told him that I loved him...and I didn't know what else to say. He said that telling him that went a long way. I'm bawling my eyes out right now because this man has always been more than nice to me. He has always given us a Christmas gift and bought gifts for the kids. I don't have a negative thing, from my experience, to say about him...not that I can form words right now. I need for this to be a priority for you too next week because a dying man counts you as one of his closest friends and wants to give you his things.
They don't make men like Paul anymore. Rough and tumble. Hard as nails yet soft as a kitty, all rolled into one daunting package. He loves to ride his motorcycle. He loves camping on the lake in his camper. He really would do anything for you if he could. However, in his younger days, you wouldn't want to cross him. I'm sure he was quite intimidating with that growly low voice that came from smoking too many cigarettes. I only knew the soft Paul. The Paul that was always courteous to me and still had a hint of gentleman in and amongst the tough stuff. A carpenter who sweated through enough summers to earn his degree in hard work. A man with a talent who helped us renovated many houses and build the business we have today. A forever thoughtful man. That's what I will remember the most.
