How We Survive

"In everybody's life

there's a point of no return.

And in a very few cases,

a point where you can't

go forward anymore.

And when we reach that point,

all we can do is quietly accept that fact,

that's how we survive."

-Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore





I've read Kafka on the Shore several times already, and every time I read it, I find new things.  Or maybe I notice new things, based on things going on in my life.  And this line struck me today, made me think of my dad.  I'm not sure, mentally, where he's at with his situation.  But stage IV metastatic cancer isn't a really good thing.  Not only does Dad have to "quietly accept the facts" -- the rest of the family does too.  I've been so blessed in having my family around for a number of years.  My grandmother was 95 when she passed, and Gramps was 104.  My parents are mid 70s, and they've been in mostly good health.  But one thought that scares me is as the oldest, well some things will naturally fall to me.  Will I be able to step up and handle it?  This is one situation that you can't "practice" for, it just happens.  The circle of life.

Speaking of that, my friend at work, Trish had a grandson born yesterday.  Something went wrong in the pregnancy and the amniotic sac attached to his head.  Little Tony only survived 10 hours after his birth, but he wasn't expected to live at all.  She held him, sang lullabies and told family stories.  Maybe they didn't have a lot of years together, but the love was still the same, no matter what. 

When we can't go forward,
we quietly accept the facts,
that's how we survive.