Invincible

There are people in our lives we believe are invincible. They're larger than life. For them to become weak or leave this life...seems unacceptable. Something would be terribly wrong with our world and the world at large if that happened. Yet it's a part of life. Not to go all "Lion King" on everybody, but it is the way of the world ever since God created mankind. The worst part is that unless the unthinkable is committed, we don't get to choose the ending. Sometimes even the most seemingly invincible people leave us before we are ready.
The people we often think are the invincible ones are our parents or those who raised us. One day they are taking us to ball practice...we blink...their hair is turning gray...blink again and they suddenly (well, to us it seems sudden) aren't able to walk as fast, stay awake as long or do many of the things they used to do. Age will do that to all of us someday. How difficult it is when you realize this, too. When did daddy get so...well, old?  When did mama?  You want it to stop because the years have flown by and none of us live forever...you know it will happen but you try to block it from your mind.
Then one day, you hear awful news. That person you thought was invincible is sick. Something crippling or worse, something they will not recover from. Throws you for a loop. They say there are different steps you go through when faced with something like that. Denial...no, it can't be true. That person is the strong man I remember from my childhood, the one who never got sick. Anger...why is this happening to such a good person, my family member? Why now? Why so young? (I've always said your perception of age changes as you yourself grow older. When you're 10, 30 seems old. When you're 30, 60 seems old...and when you're over 40, 80 and 90 is obviously old.)  Fear...what will I do without that person when they are gone from my life? Acceptance...you realize no matter what steps you take, your loved one is not going to live through this awful sickness. So you resolve to make things as easy for them there at the end as you can. You spend more time with them and regret not spending more in the previous years. But you can't go back-you can only go forward.
One thing you need to realize as you do go forward, faster and faster it seems towards "the end" as it were...you're not alone. There are people who offer their shoulder to lean on, to cry on...they're offering their time and a caring heart for you. The ones who are truly your friends are there for you through every good and bad day-you may not see them all the time...they're the ones who either offer and then wait quietly for you to come to them, not wanting to intrude on your grief and sometimes not knowing exactly what to say but knowing they want to be there for you...they may be the ones who are a little more in your face, determined not to let you descend into complete despair and possibly even depression. It has been said that "no man is an island."  While women are more likely to turn to friends or other family to get through something like this, men internalize. This is one time they should not do that. I'm not saying y'all should sit down on a fluffy couch with a million pillows and a box of kleenex and talk about your feelings. But it's ok to let someone know you are hurting. You're angry. You're feeling lost. You're sad. Sometimes a kind word at just the right time or a phone call when you are at your lowest...it does help.  So please, let your friends be there for you. You don't have to share every thought you have with them, but please don't shut them out. Realize you yourself are not invincible and that is human and only normal. Things you are not able to share with family members, you may find you can share with friends a lot easier.
Unfortunately, the bad news is that none of us, whether the best and brightest or the lowest of the low, are invincible. God didn't make us immortal. I think it was so we would learn to cherish life. This lesson comes at a high price that we all must pay...and while some lives are long and some are cut short, the price is worth it for the love we experience and share with loved ones.