There were three large boxes stacked on top of each other and a small little box on top. Just boxes stacked. No, more than that. Inside the boxes was a person. No, more than that. Inside the boxes was a heart and killer smile. No, more than that.

A surprise birthday party for someone a nurse, two CNAs and myself consider a friend. A friend who is dying. No, no one wondered if this would be her last. Simply put, no matter if she has 100 more birthdays, she will never have this birthday again. And she smiled. Sweet mercy, she smiled. Ninety minutes that will never be charted. Ninety minutes that will never come again and yet they will live forever.

It seems in our world we often hide the dying, inject poison in our bodies to hide aging, and sometimes barter our sweet beautiful souls to defy life’s normal aging. Yet one woman, a bit younger than myself, who hears the clock ticking, smiled. No words spoken but who needs words when eyes light up to see a friend jump out of boxes stacked and everyone singing happy birthday. There was no death in our singing. No death as we fed her homemade birthday cake. There was no death in our hugs and touches. There was no death in our own smiles and laughter. There was no death in the happy of happy birthday. There was no death in the birth of birthday. There was no death when neatly stacked boxes were tossed all over the floor as the young man jumped out and ran over and gave her a hug. And yet, death was there. Like once neatly stacked boxes now scattered over the floor, death was there…but a heart jumped out.

No, more than that………………

Happy birthday my friend. Thank you for the gift you gave us on your birthday.