Priorities matter

Imagine, if you will, the following order of priorities. You put a dollar in the coffee machine. Out comes the sugar, then the cream, followed by the coffee, and then, last of all, the cup! Priorities matter. Sometimes I chafe under the restriction of priorities in my life. At times, when I would rather go for a bike ride, swim, or for a run, I have to do other things. Some of them are work related. A physician's time is rarely his own and discretionary time is a priceless and rare commodity. Other priorities are family related.

This morning, I had the awesome privilege of seeing my 93 year old father draw his final breath. He was a man of moderate habits and never quite understood my attraction to endurance events. A competitive swimmer in college, he swam all of his adult life but it was a leisurely pursuit and not one that taxed or stretched his abilities. Despite this, several years ago he won 3 gold medals in the state Senior Olympics held in The Villages, FL.He was the only one competing in his age group. His strategy was that if he couldn't out swim the competition, he could outlive it! He was married to my Mom for 52 years and after she passed away in 2002, he lived independently into his 90's. After a period of deteriorating health and 3 falls in his apartment resulting in 3 serious fractures, he decided the time had come to move to assisted living.

Two weeks ago, with his active participation and blessing, we jointly decided the time had come to allow nature to take its natural course in his life. We discontinued all of his medications except those needed for comfort. He called this final chapter of his life "our project". Two days ago, he slipped into a coma. This morning, his breathing changed. My two sisters and I gathered at his bedside and after a brief prayer we began sharing stories of our family and its many "characters" with much laughter. In the middle of this, Dad briefly opened his eyes, closed them slowly, and, six breaths later, he was gone. It was the calm, dignified, and peaceful death we had hoped and prayed for him. It was perfection.

I didn't run, bike, or swim today. There was too much important family stuff to do and I was OK with this. After all, priorities matter. Seeing my father off was a privilege I would not have missed for anything. We did not have that opportunity with Mom and so this was his final gift to us.

This week's training summary:
Swim- 2525 yards in 59:14
Run- Thursday: 5.46 mi at 8:28/mi average pace
         Saturday: 4 mi at 8 min/mi averaga pace (Fall Four Miler in Mt. Dora). Took 2/6 place for age.
Bike- None this week.