On the Way to Wonder

Sr. Wantabee was at the hospital today and had the opportunity to say farewell to her namesake who had been there for 14 days. One operation led to another but she had recovered and was waiting to be released – mostly healed. She shared that more family was coming tomorrow. Oh, to rejoice that Mom is alive, quipped Sr. Wantabee.

No, on the 30th we will celebrate the birthday of my daughter who died five years ago. The patient had been told after her first child, she would never be able to have children again so she had taken no precautions. 18 years later her husband commented that she was eating enough for two. She better get checked out. Indeed, she was three months pregnant. The daughter was born and named Baraka, the blessing. At age eight the girl informed her mother she knew she would never live to see age 21. At 19 she broke up with her boyfriend and he “accidently” shot her through the head. The mother reflected on her grief and on her own inability to listen to her daughter or see what a blessing she had been to others – they shared at the funeral. An aunt reflected that the girl had been the factor that kept the family together as in their later years they gathered to rejoice in her life events. The girl had lived up to her name. She was a blessing and people will travel this weekend to rejoice for her life.

“Baraka,” blessing. We have a president with the same name. May he live up to his name also!