Sobering Up

There's nothing quite like finding out someone is dying to bring you down from a caffeine buzz.

We had received a reply to one of our September mailings last week, with a request to remove the recipient from the Institution's mailing list. I left a message to confirm whether they still wanted to receive the alumni magazine or not later that day. And today the alumnus' daughter called.

Apparently her father was in very bad health; he is 90 years old, and recently went downhill. So she was canceling all of his mail subscriptions now, to save trouble later. Part of me was thinking, this is such a practical approach to dealing with the situation. The rest of me was thinking, how sad this must be for her.

She had a charming voice, soft but cheerful, and when I said I was sorry to hear that her father was so ill, she said, he's 90 now, he's had a good run, and I'm just grateful for each day we have now. I don't think I'd be able to be so brave and hold up so well.

I was glad to speak with her, and I'm happy he has someone so dedicated and caring to look after him. I wish her the best.