all that i am

a man fell leaving church this morning
he was leaving out the side door
the short cut/metal fire escape to the parking lot
the way he surely has gone
hundreds of times before

but it was terribly icy this morning
although all the main entrances and sidewalks
had been treated and were clear and dry
this exit had not been touched

as soon as his foot stepped onto the threshold
he was down
those closest to the door went to help him
and actually feel on top of him

eventually with much scooting and sliding
they managed to drag him in
and he lay on the floor in front of me
standing in my pew

someone tried putting a jacket under his head
he swatted them away
someone else began to pull him further into the church
only causing him more pain
someone else called 911
and began to pelt him with questions
someone else went to look for something to block the doorway

suddenly it seemed everyone had departed from the scene
and I saw his face grimace as he held back his tears
and then I found myself kneeling at his side
smoothing his head
and holding his hand
and I asked what can we do to help you?
what hurts?
your back?
your head?
your wrists?
your heart?
   his hand was on his chest
   and I couldn't tell
   if his pain was from the fall
   or perhaps it was his heart
but no
it was his knee
he asked if I could look at it
and allowed me to roll up his pants' leg
it looked as if he had been branded
with the pattern of the metal grate
but it wasn't bleeding
he then tried to bend it
and then we negotiated which way to roll
to ease himself up to sit and then to stand
and then I gave him a big hug
and told him I was glad nothing was broken
and another man
took his arm
and helped him to the car

what impressed me most
was that he was 64 years old
    his answer to the 911 inquiries
and I thought
ten years
and I will be treated as 'old'

perhaps if I fell today
I would already be treated as old?!

but I'm sure he never thought of himself as 'old'
before today...
and then suddenly here he is
laid out on the floor
with strangers hovering over him
trying to take care

rather than him taking care

ten years...

I can't see into the future
but I can remember the past
ten years ago
2002
do & coco in high school
ten years before that
1992
tebie two
ten years before that
1982
engaged to be married

alot has happened over these many years
but I still feel like the same person I was
way back then
and I'll probably still feel that same way
ten years from now

a few more grey hairs
a few more wrinkles
a few more achy body parts

but probably not a whole lot is going to change
over the next ten years
my life will  probably be very much like it is today
and everyday

I love these days...
each and every one
the wonder and beauty of it all
my husband
my children
my family
my friends
my little life
this wonderful gift...
that God has given

I take such pleasure
in all that I have
all that I do

I pray
God
is pleased with me too...