Take Ten Seconds to Prepare

"I didn't have any time. I didn't have ten seconds!"

• Ken Smith
  

A Ten Second Preparation

I called Ken to check in with him.

"Ken? This is Lynn. How are you today?"

It was a Monday morning and I had no reason to believe it was not just like every other Monday. But, Ken's answer was different than I expected.

"I'm not doing very well. My wife died yesterday."

The words felt like a slap across my face. I was stunned! I stammered for something to say.

"You're kidding me!" I replied.

As soon as the words left my mouth I felt silly for saying something that ridiculous. I wished I could take the words back! Happily, Ken just let the words drift past without feeling any sting. He simply began to tell me of the biggest life challenge he had ever faced.

I listened to the story and thought how strange it all was. I had been in the Smith home not more than two weeks before and everything was in good order. Ken and his wife were sitting in their living room. She was knitting while all three of us talked. It just didn't seem plausible for her to have passed away so quickly.

Ken explained the whole thing to me. They were in their home when she told him she didn't feel well and asked him to take her to the hospital. He did. They were in the emergency room and she appeared to be doing well. The doctors and nurses had been attending to her for a while and everything seemed to be going well. They determined that she had a bowel obstruction. It had been a long day of tests and evaluation.

With everything seemingly stable Ken decided to step out of the room for a minute to go get a hamburger. They hadn't eaten all day. He was gone for a mere ten minutes and he came back into the room with some food for the two of them and she was gone!

"It's got to be hard," I said. "You were married for fifty years weren't you?

"Yes," he replied.

"You didn't have any time to prepare!"

"No. I didn't have any time. I didn't have ten seconds!"

Since that Monday, I've been to the funeral and Ken and I have spent lots of time talking. I can still see the pain in his eyes. I can still see the hole in his life. No matter what happens in Ken's future that hole will always be there. At least it's a hole filled with wonderful memories of an amazing love. The love of his life; she meant everything to him!

This experience has meant everything to me as well. Through it I've had a confirmation that love really can last a lifetime and that we need to express it every day, every second! Sometimes we don't have even ten seconds to prepare. No, wait!

Ken didn't have ten seconds to prepare! He had fifty years to prepare! So it can be for all of us if we'll choose to share our love with those around us. Ken has shown us the way to fill any holes in our lives. Please take just ten seconds today to prepare and then go share your love with everyone around you.