The sound of sirens

Because the office where I worked was located directly across the street from the Bella Vista Police and Fire departments, the sound of sirens was not uncommon.

They often follow an announcement on the office scanner relating a state of emergency which requires a response from either department or both. It might be an accident, a health issue of an elderly resident, a fire or myriad other incidents that require immediate attention. This also means one of the Vista reporters needed to go to the scene so we could cover the incident. While it is important to report news as quickly as possible, it also caused my heart to skip a beat when it happened in an area where friends or family live. Nobody wants to hear bad news about someone they care for or perhaps even love.

The good news is that with the quick response of our city employees, many lives are saved and help is just around the corner at the Mercy facility now located here in Bella Vista. Nothing is more comforting than having top-notch medical technology right here where we live, and if needed, they now have a landing pad for a helicopter ambulance. It doesn't get much better than that. The bad news is that not every situation can be fixed, no matter how quickly we respond. Some things are beyond help of any kind, and God is there to welcome them home when it is a person whose life is over.

Living in Bella Vista for more than 20 years, where the age demographic is at the high end of the scale, I have discovered that there are worse things than dying. For many, when quality of life is no longer possible, we can provide love and care, but we can't make life what it used to be. For those who are suffering, that isn't the answer they want to hear.

I remember going to the funeral of one of my parent's friends who lost her husband.

My parent's friend said to me, "No matter how difficult this is, my gift to him (her deceased husband) is that he will never have to go through what I am living with today."

What a wonderful outlook she had.

I hate to admit how many times I've woken during the night, unable to go right back to sleep, wondering how I will deal with all that life holds if my husband precedes me in death. I am so blessed with a partner who takes care of our financial life -- taxes, investments, credit cards and all the other daily, weekly and yearly obligations that are a part of living in today's world. Fortunately, he keeps outstanding records and I have a daughter who is a CPA, so she can probably help me out if and when I need her. He also has taken over the cooking since we moved here, although I did it while we were raising our family so I know I can do that, if need be.

There are so many things we do together as a partnership, and -- as many of you who are now single through no choice of your own know -- it is never easy to do it alone. My other resource is my sister who has been a widow for close to 30 years. She knows the ropes and is an outstanding example of how to be a widow gracefully.

In all of my mental anguish about what might be, I need to remember that God is there for me and will help me through each and every day. I also need to remember that He is there for more than moments of crisis. He is ready to listen to me at every stage of life, and if I talk to Him now when life is good, then I know He will be there when I need Him most. He will never turn His back and when our time comes, and He will welcome both of us home when the time is right.

So whatever is at the end of a siren's call, God is there as well.

And that is the greatest blessing of all.

• • •

Jan Burgess moved to Bella Vista in 1995. She considers each day a gift -- although some are more fun to open than others. The opinions expressed are those of the author.

Religion on 02/01/2017