Moment of Awakening

Apparently it's not that uncommon that right before someone passes away, they have a moment of awakening. A short period of time, when their bodies rally, and their ailments seem to subside or disappear, or their minds clear up and they appear attentive and focused - sometimes hours or days before their rapid decline and passing.

Wendy and I were watching our TiVo'd ER episode the other night, and there was an experience of that on the show. An old man (who incidentally was responsible for the building and development of the ER program "way back when") showed up at the ER, suffering from physical weakness, and -it turned out- dementia. Ultimately, he dies at the end, but before he does, he seems to focus in and have a moment of clarity... long enough to acknowledge the presence of a loved one, and additionally use some of his old-school doctor wizardry to save the life of a dying lady. While this is just one incident... one show... there are others, and Hollywood, it appears, is aware of this "moment of awakening".

Our family has experienced this. Roger's mother had this similar moment, where hours before she passed, her body recovered, and her health seemed to greatly "improve". A few hours later, she passed away as her body crashed. Sherri too had this same experience very recently with her mother.

I find it odd that the body does this. That right before it lets go, it struggles (and seems to succeed) so desperately for survival. Why not do this long before - way before the last decline - when the rally might actually do some good? Why does it wait until the end?

Is it merely a mechanism that God created to have a single last moment with loved ones, or at least appear to go "more comfortably" so that it becomes easier for the surviving loved ones to let go?

I only started to think more about this because I'm having a similar (while less severe) experience, personally... with myself.

I've been working non-stop now for a very very long time. It's not all bad, and I'm not complaining... it just is fact. I've gone home from "Work", only to pick up different work. I even spent the entire weekend working. It's been necessary, but still, it's exhausting.

I've been tired. I started out well, but following this last Friday night, I've hit this wall. Oh, I've gotten plenty accomplished over the weekend (A Ton actually), but my body and mind are completely wiped. Sleep has never been so welcomed, and so hard to let go. I am wasted and lethargic...

...That is, until today. Waking up was difficult, but I hit this second wind, my "moment of awakening", in much the same manner as those I've described above. My body is energetic, and my mind is completely sharp. It's as if the fog of my brain blew away in the wind we had yesterday, along with all the rain clouds. I'm functioning very well. I've rallied.

... but deep down, I can feel the exhaustion slowly eating me inside-out, consuming me in spite of my valorous efforts to feel refreshed. It's strange, but it just feels like it "settled" on my mind and muscles like dust, and if I shake to much, it will all stir up again.

So I'm bracing for the crash... but it doesn't change that I still have a lot of work left to do, and so there's no end in sight at this time.

What's my point? Not pity, no... it's all my doing anyway. No, in my clarity, I just realized the analogy fit so well with what I'm experiencing - heck, they very well might be born from the same mechanism within us - and I thought I'd share my enlightened thoughts :-P.

Regardless, I'm not looking forward to the crash... not in the least.