Thursday, July 22, 2010

Waves

After five seasons of Deadliest Catch, the faces of the crews become familiar and known.  Their lives are exciting clips we stare at and wish we were so courageous to brave the cold Alaskan seas. 

The episodes being shown right now have been of the struggle that one ship's Captain has been having with his health.  A stroke overtook him while on the boat and he was rushed to hospital.  His two sons -- both part of his crew -- struggling to know if they need to be on the boat or with their father.

I sat and watched with as much sadness as one will have for a stranger and his family suffering a tragedy.  As they struggle with the issues of regret and grief, guilt and responsibility, despair and hope.  Then they moved to the hospital where they showed the Captain while he lived his last few moments.

He lay with his head shaved, swollen and misshapen, scars of his recent surgery prominent.  His voice was muffled and weak, his eyes not focusing.  Oxygen tubing snaked into his nose, machines hooked up to his chest, and a suction tube in his hand. 

It was the suction tube that did me in.

It was like a carbon copy picture of the last month of my Mom's life. 

I watched and tears rolled down my face.  Watching those poor boys say goodbye to their father, I knew where they were at.  It's a hard place to be.  And I didn't have to do it on camera.

2 comments:

Crap monkies say "what?"