Love Like There Is No Tomorrow

I had intended to write of silly things this month. My ideas revolved around quirky subjects, and ideas that would make people smile. However, my plan was changed in the beginning of June.

My brother Daniel was in a terrible motorcycle accident. A woman ran a red light late at night and hit him. He told me that at that moment, his world was being spun. That all he could hear was the crashing of metal on metal. The feeling of his body being tossed over the top of her car. The dull sound as he hit the pavement.

Witnesses near by ran to his aid, telling him repeatedly not to move. In minutes, an ambulance arrived and he told them that he had pain in his foot. Trying to reassure him, he was told that it was not that serious.

I am thankful that he was comforted in that sense. It probably helped him in his state of shock. At one o’clock in the morning, my parents told me that he had been in an accident, and that he was injured. All I can remember is the knot in my stomach as they left, and the way my body shook with the sobs that overtook me.

My mind reeled. I never said goodbye.

Those words repeated in my head over and over again as I stood there, doubled over, fighting the urge to vomit. I knew that he was not dead. I knew that he wasn’t even in critical condition. It was the what if’s that burned in my mind.

I fell asleep on the floor in the corner of my bedroom, and woke at dawn to my cell phone ringing. It was my mom giving me the details of his injuries.

His right foot was de-gloved to the bone. The surgeon did his best to fix it, but here is his prognosis:

He may or may not be able to keep his foot. Only time will tell. So far, his entire heel is dead. There is a possibility that there is live flesh underneath, and if that is the case, he may only need plastic surgery to repair the malformation. He cannot put any weight on it for at least two more months. After that, he will have physical therapy…and lots of it.

I can’t even count the number of times I have prayed for him. The number of times I have asked my friends to pray. This situation has done an extraordinary thing.

It has brought my brother and I closer together.

Our relationship used to consist of maybe one or two hello’s a week. I don’t know when exactly our relationship fell apart, but now it is much stronger. My point is this:

Never take anything for granted.

When your loved ones step out the front door, shower them with love. Never take for granted the simple gesture of saying “I love you.” If you are at odds with someone you care about, do everything in your power to make things right. It may be your last chance.