Drop Everything and Run

He is sound asleep- two fingers in his mouth- calm- breathing deep and even; Brayden is my three-year-old buddy. He is my good friend’s son, a beautiful and precocious ball of energy, with a smile that will steal your heart away every time.

We are “soul-buddies” as my friend Hesenna says- because Brayden was born into this life with severe respiratory complications which will profoundly affect him throughout his entire life. The seasons will come and go like storms to be weathered; And when they descend upon him these storms will beat and beat and beat upon his body just like a boat against the rocks. The storms will shape his life story, they will shape the world that he sees and they will shape how he perceives himself.

As I sit on the couch watching Brayden sleep, I wonder if the years ahead will be kind to him; If he will be able to experience a life as full as any other ‘normal’ child; And even if he will live to see the mild stones that we are all taught to dream about- He has been sick for awhile now- this long and drawn out disease tearing at his little body. I marvel at the strength of his mother whom I know would move heaven and earth for her son-I cannot fathom the consummate burden that she feels for her child. I cannot imagine how heavy she must feel in her chest when she struggles with her own inability to ‘fix’ her son. I ache for her; and I ache for Brayden.

It has been an afternoon of circles-And I am humbled to be the one on whom she calls for help- it is a privilege beyond measure to come and allow her a few hours of that much needed rest that has alluded her of late. It is a rare thing to achieve in any kind of relationship- this ‘drop everything and run’ sort of deal. I often think that if we were to invest more of ourselves in these moments of subtle inconvenience or in moments that are messy and full of heavy laden emotions better left untouched- maybe if we all tried a little more to be present in these places where relationships are concerned- just maybe we’d all be better for it. Indeed, I hope that in my own life and in my relationships that I am better for it.

Brayden has bid his Jillian goodbye and I have been given strict orders to come back to see him tomorrow. And so any plans that my Saturday had will be put on hold- and I will ‘drop everything and run’ just so my Brayden knows how special he is and so my dear friend can be reminded how important she is, how important our friendship is- Because every now and then we all need someone to be strong for us, to walk with us through the storms, and to be willing to drop everything and run- This is the kind of girl I want to be in my friendships- this is the kind of person that I would want as a friend.

Final thought: “Your hope is not in vain.” (-Mike Erre)

And so I hope for us all this kind of world, a world where we are reminded that we are that important to someone that they truly would drop everything and run.