On Not Expecting the Unexpected

12:00pm. Lunch is over, and the rest of the day looms ahead. It's a busy day. Hours have passed quickly so far. New duties present themselves. New challenges. New hurdles. It feels good.

1:00pm. Writing. So much to say. Find some words. Put them together. Attempt to make sense of them. Move along.

1:15pm. The fun part of the day. Always makes you smile. Never fails. But this time. Eyes are closed. Breathing is labored. It's the end of the line. You knew it was coming. You just didn't know that it would pack such a hard punch when it did.

11:30pm. Still reeling. You realize something. One hour per day. Times five days per week. Times four weeks. Twenty precious hours. You got to know someone in their darkest moments. You found light in those moments. You were a part of something. You will never be the same.

11:35pm. There's more to say. Sometimes you do things. And you focus on those things. And you forget that in very small ways, unexpected ways, you make a difference. And knowing that is incredibly touching. And if you're lucky, it makes you cry.

I've never felt so honored, and yet so profoundly sad, in all my life.