Not-So-Happy Valentine’s Day
by Stephanie Kelly
It’s 11:37 PM on Valentine’s Day 2013. I sit at the the side of my brother’s death bed, listening to Ray Lamontagne’s Pandora station while my mother speaks over the music, reading today’s daily passage from Jesus Calling – her and my brother have been taking turns doing so for the past three months since a friend had so kindly given it to my brother for inspiration to fight Cancer.
I don’t know what to think about all of this. Only three weeks prior were the doctors and nurses confident my brother could become cancer-free. Now here we are.
Family and friends have flown in from all over the world to be here for my brother’s final days. I am overwhelmed by the anticipation that the end is near. The world will not end, time will continue to pass but our lives will never be the same.
I love you Johnathan. You’re my trusted confidante, protector, best friend, and most importantly, my big brother.