Thursday, October 5, 2023
It was week 2 of Fall Term classes at Mt. Hood Community College. I took a personal day to chaperone Eamon's (age 5) kindergarten field trip to Wildwood Recreation Area on the Salmon River in Welches, Oregon. Due to the closure of the Stark Street Bridge, the shortest route to Eamon's school was blocked. The alternative route took me on highway 84. I called the front office let them know I was running late. They told me if the bus had left, then I could drive myself to the site. Upon arrival, the bus was waiting for me and a sad Eamon, who thought his Dad wasn't going to make it, was excited to see me! We rode the hot October bus to Wildwood. Once there, we broke into small groups. Eamon and his two friends Aeri and Braelynn were in my group and Braelynn's mom was my chaperone partner. We spent the crisp Fall day observing nature, listening for birds, looking at ferns, and watching salmon spawn in the river. I loved watching Eamon explore and interact with his friends and felt our bond growing throughout the day. Braelynn's mother told me about her husband, who had passed away from COVID-19 during the pandemic. She told me how he got sick on a Friday and passed on Sunday and that everything was so sudden and fast. I talked to Danielle about this that night, feeling so much sadness for their loss. Days later, Danielle faced the same reality, fortunately, with a different outcome. That evening, our family (Me, Danielle, Eamon, and Noah) went to The Fork food trucks in Fairview, OR. The weather had warmed into the perfect Fall evening. We sat outside, eating delicious food while the boys enjoyed playing in the outdoor play area. As I laid in bed reflecting on the day, I told my wife Danielle that "Today was the perfect day. If it was my last, I would be ok with that." Of course, I just meant that it was the perfect day. Little did I know, it nearly was my last.
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