Monday, June 10, 2013

Not the way he would have chosen



Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

So the haunting words of Dylan Thomas take us through the desire to live; and remind us of the inevitability of death.

More than a few times in the last four years, the hub has said, “This is no way for a man to die.” Mike sometimes sought out friends who had witnessed a cancer death. He would ask and/or they would volunteer the grisly details. I still stand amazed at what some people will share with a cancer patient. But I don’t blame them; this one went asking.

Then, he would slip into a funk.

As we sit here together with Nurse Nancy who works her magic, I see that I will have no dramatic stories to tell. Mike’s passing will be peaceful, quiet, and pain free. This is what we have prayed for and God has supply Mike’s final request.

He might have preferred

  trying to race a Great White while scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef.
or
  missing a step while running with the bulls in Pamplona
or
 snapping the main sail while battling a sudden typhoon
or
 racing down a path in the Boys’ Club in Winona Lake, bumping a hidden tree root and flying over the handlebars
or
climbing into a wind sheer and then boring in at Oshkosh
or
just about anything than slipping, quietly and quickly, into a gentle rest where we can say our goodbyes and and tell Mike tales.

So, this is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but with a whimper.

Nothing dramatic. Just peacefully slipping away on this beautiful summer day.

13 comments:

  1. Not the way he would choose for sure but his Lynnie is with him and as he posted in February that he considered that "dying well".

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  2. A BATTLE WELL-FOUGHT AND ONE THAT IMPACTED SO MANY OTHER'S LIVES.

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  3. He leaves us much too soon, but with an indelible mark in our hearts and souls.

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  4. Praying for peace for both of you!

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  5. Praying for peace and comfort for the Bolinger family.

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  6. Mike lived more adventure in a month than most of us live in a lifetime. He is an incredible man who I am privileged to have known, played music with, and privileged that my son knew him as well. He got my son swimming the old fashioned way @ age 5 when we visited at the lake. "Jump, Kyle. I'll be right here," he said. I try not to leave much for other men to teach my son, but I had no problem with Kyle learning some adventure from Michael. I regret that I did not get to go on a motorcycle ride with Mike--I think that would have been a fun day!

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  7. Praying for peace and comfort for you both. My family and I feel honored to have gotten to know Mike and Lynn here at the lake. Mike often enjoyed trying to throw our daughter Kalista off the tube. Im not sure who enjoyed this more,Mike or Kalista. Mike always had encouraging words for her to listen to, about life in general. As we were able to say our good-bye to Mike he told her that he would be watching and encouraging her at her many swim meets. We wish you could have gone to a few. We Love You Mike and Lynn

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  8. So very sad for both of you. I know that once Mike sees the Savior's face, he will be free of all illness and pain, but the thought of losing him and his wonderful words of wisdom and insight just leaves me so very sad.

    Still praying for both of you as you face these final hours together.

    Stacy (Grams)

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  9. Praying for you!! Thank you both for being so vulnerable & sharing this journey so publically with us. It gave me greater understanding to what my mom went through with her cancer battle.
    May God grant you HIS peace that passes all understanding.

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  10. Lynn, thanks so much for sharing with us as you go through this difficult time. Can't imagine summer at the lake without Mike! We're praying for you both as you go through this final adventure together.

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  11. In Greece when a person passes, we say "Have a good heaven".This is my wish to Mike today.Have a good heaven Mike, thank you for sharing this journey that has become a valuable lesson.

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  12. Bless you both. Just because we all must die, God planted within us such an urge for life that it will never be easy. But the life we are really longing for is the one Mike is going to be enjoying soon; what for us just seems to be too soon. It is actually God's perfect timing and He can't wait to fold Mike in his arms forever.

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