Legacy of Love: The Right Time for Peaceful Farewells

Dr. John Armstrong was a small man, with a large head. He liked to think of it as a noble forehead, but he knew that others thought of it as a receding hairline. His eyes were small and black and they were always watching. He had been watching the boy for some time now, ever since the boy had returned from the war.

He had seen the boy, Patrick, working in the stable and knew that he was the son of his patient Mrs. Williams. It was unusual to know the family of one’s patients, but Mrs. Williams was an exception. She was not old when she first came to see him, only on her late thirties, but she was expecting her first child and she wanted a doctor who would care for her baby as well as herself.

“Doctor Armstrong?” The boy said, standing in front of him with a worried look on his face. Their town had only one doctor, so everyone knew him by his first name. “I need your help!” The boy whispered urgently looking around him at the inn’s crowded room.

John glanced up from his book and followed the boy outside where no one could hear them talk, “Don’t tell me you are sick again…” He sighed wearily. That meant another day at Mrs. Williams’ house when she needed his help with feeding her baby or keeping an eye on her to make sure she did not fall asleep while breastfeeding…

The boy shook his head “No… My mother is sick… Not physically sick though! I don’t know how else to describe it… She keeps talking about dying… Like… Like she can see into the future or something!” He looked at John pleadingly “Please Doctor... Tell me what it means?”

John frowned slightly, “You should ask your father about this young Patrick… If there was something wrong with your mother I would have known about it by now. Maybe she has taken too much wine lately? It is late summer after all… People tend to drink more during festivals like St. Michael’s Eve celebration we have going on right now... Or maybe she is just very tired and over excited because of your return from war? You should try to understand where these ideas about dying are coming from... Perhaps if you pay closer attention you will find out where your mother gets these thoughts from... I am certain that your mother is just fine and there is no reason for you to be worried... Now go home and go to bed before someone tells your father that you were out late again! Good night Patrick!”

As he watched Patrick walk away he remembered the first baby he had delivered back in those days when he had still been practising medicine in Rome. Although back then most women preferred midwives over their own doctors, there were still some who sought his help instead of their midwives' and he had been happy to help them whenever possible... Why would someone trust their lives into someone else's hands if they did not have faith in them? They might die without even trying... And that was why today he still went to visit Mrs. Williams every once in a while despite being told not to bother by his peers... They could get along without him very well... But Mrs. Williams needed him; her husband died when their son was born and she did not have anyone else to rely on... Besides sometimes it felt nice to be needed too... And besides none of them could do what he did anyway: Prepare people for death with dignity... Even though they called it 'pious stupidity' they were jealous nonetheless because they could not do what he did so well themselves... Patience, love and understanding made all the difference after all!