So incredibly sad in The start of something?

I had a very emotional call today.

The caller started off fine.. She was calling to close an account. It was in her name, but was for her fathers property. He'd recently passed away and she was selling the house. She'd been caring for him for the last 10 years... Her mother passed away 10 years ago, and she took care of her father from then as he was declining further and further into dementia.

Through the general chit hat (She wasn't trying to make me feel sorry for her) she revealed that though she had just buried her father, she had also just buried her son who had committed suicide. That's when she got choked up... She told me their names and as she spoke I felt like I knew them all too and I felt a lump growing in my throat. This women had two sons. The oldest was the one who passed away and the youngest has a mental disability. This woman was 70. Her husband had died of a heart attack when he was 39... And as if all that isn't enough, she has had cancer and has just had her last round of treatment.

I didn't want to get her off the phone as I was a bit concerned for her and didn't want to seem cold hearted so I just let her talk. I really wasn't saying much.. just listening and giving verbal nods.

As my concern grew I asked her if she had someone to talk to, someone who could help her process these feelings. I met a counselor or psychologist but she mentioned a friend who was having a last hurrah... a trip around Australia with her husband who has leukemia and not long to live..... She didn't want to burden that friend with her own worries....

I eventually got up the courage to say perhaps she should see a doctor about being referred onto someone more qualified to help her through these emotions but she just changed the subject saying she wants to talk to her sons doctor... He son had had severe depression but she didn't know it. He hid it from everyone. They found writing and texts and of course, found out later he was under the care of a doctor but nobody knew the cloud he was under. A cloud so heavy it caused him to take his life.

We spoke for over 35 minutes and she said I was in the wrong profession.. haha.. my section is called "resolutions" and she said it was apt for me. I thought that was really nice.

It's her son's birthday in two days time. The one that passed away... That's going to be hard for her too.

I hear sob stories from time to time but none has affected me like this one today.

My thoughts are with that poor woman.. it's just her and her second son now, the one with the mental disability and she's getting on in age but she's worrying about who's going to look after him when shes gone.

Very tough life...

Email me at april2009@email.com