Peas and Beets

In our garden are growing some beets and a bush of peas. I was out watering them today and thinking of my dad. Dad loved puns, and was always coming up with either really funny ones or the kind where you go... "ah, geez... (groan) that was a bad one, Dad."

I thought if Dad was visiting here now and I could take him outside to see my garden of peas and beets before he left, he'd probably say, "ok,  Jaynie; I gotta go home now, so I'll take a pee and beat it!"

Then I remembered the night he died in 1984. It was March 5 when I spent the night at his house because he was fading away and fixin on dying.  He got up from his bed to pee... he didn't want any help, and was strong enough to make it to the bathroom on his own. Then he got back in bed and beat it to the other side of the veil within the hour.  I'd never seen anything quite like that before ... or since.

I did have an old Italian guy as a patient one night when I worked Med-Surg who ate a big plate of his wife's homemade spagetti and meatballs then died 2 hours later so peacefully. But he was bedridden already and couldn't get up to pee. I just could not explain to all those family members how a guy could wolf down a huge batch of spagetti then die without going comatose for a few days at least. Maybe their local padre gave them a good explanation. I just accept that The Lord has mysterious ways.

Anyhooo... I still miss Dad. And this time every March something brings back the memories. This time it was peas and beets.