redwoods

Look Towards Heaven

by Father Brian J. Soliven on Sunday September 25, 2022

After ringing the doorbell, her husband came to the door. “Thank you for coming”, he said to me as he reached out to shake my hand. “She will be happy to see you.” We both put on our medical masks due to her delicate immune system. He led me down the hallway to the master bedroom, as I glanced at the framed family photos to my left and my right. Wide smiles of young faces covered each picture. This is a family that loves to smile. As the entry way into the bedroom loomed closer, a little apprehension came over. I’ve done this routine hundreds of times over the years as a priest but it never gets easier. I never know what to expect when I walk through the door of someone terminally ill. Sadness? Anger? Tears? All of the above perhaps?