being done

Usually on Wednesdays I opt to stay in Chicago with Jeff. Of course, once a month I head back to Indiana to join up with the gaggle of girls (and the occasional guy) for karaoke night at the Tap.

Today I decided to stay in Chicago, and all day at work I contemplated calling up a friend to come over for some wine and girl talk. So, I texted her to see what she was up to.

About an hour later, I got her response.

Now let me preface what I'm about to talk about next. See, this friend has a family member who is one of the strongest people I know. And this person has always been my friend's ally, confidante, and overall inspiration.

This person has also been dealing with medical problems since I've known my friend.

When my phone rang with my text ringer, I was expecting either a "What's up?" or "I've got practice." I mean, it was pretty last minute, and my friend is a busy gal these days, bless her heart.

Instead what she wrote struck me. In summary, the text simply said: "i'm at ....'s all night...[they're] basically done...we're making [.....] as comfy as possible until it's time..."

At first I was saddened, and immediately texted back my love and prayers. I didn't want to call and interrupt such a private moment.

Before I closed my phone, I reread my friend's message..."[they're] basically done..."

That line really stood out to me. Of course, in simple terms it refers to the end of life. But I thought about it on a deeper level. There's something beautiful about that line.

Done.

Done with worry, done with pain, done with the pieces of the world that make us hurt, make us cry, make us wonder what the point is, or make us wonder some people do such horrible things to one another.

I think my friend put it in such a beautiful way. It's not that life is all bad, or that it isn't worth it. I think it's the exact opposite. I think it's about this crazy journey with ups and downs and curves and turns. I think it's about beauty and about ugliness. It's about absorbing everything around us. It's about experience. It's about learning. It's about succeeding...and failing. It's about laughter. It's about philosophizing. It's about everything.

But like all things, there will be a point when we're done. And then it's off to something new and different. (For the record, I don't believe that once this life is over that's it.)

Not done forever. Just done with this. It almost makes it feel like the journey has been won. Like every experience---good and bad---has finally paid off.

This weekend, I looked at my pit of a bedroom and shuddered at the thought of cleaning it all up. For a few hours Sunday evening I toiled, scrubbing, vacuuming, sorting, organizing, doing laundry. Near 11:00pm, I had finished. I looked around at my room, no more a filthy pit of dirty underwear, empty water bottles, and errant shoes. It was peaceful. I couldn't wait to just get into bed and enjoy it. As I hung up the last shirt, I took a deep breath, exhaled and thought to myself, "I'm done."

It was a small accomplishment, a little speck compared to a lifetime lived. But it was freeing.

That line...[they're] basically done...as sad as it is, I think it's very poignant in its simplicity. Because being done with something isn't necessarily a bad thing. Being done with one thing, gives way for something else. And in this case, I'm sure it's a journey without pain and suffering, full of unimaginable beauty.