For a couple years, I stopped feeling “bad” about anything/anyone. And, as far as I knew, everyone I knew and loved was okay. Healthy even! 

But then, starting in November this year, that sickly sense rose up in my heart again. This time, I wasn’t concerned about a family member. Instead, I felt that a good friend of mine was in mortal danger. But how the hell could I tell Eric that I was worried something really bad would happen to him? Was it even my place to say anything? 

Two weeks ago, Eric wrote a poem called “Mortality Knocks” that solidified in my mind that my feelings were, once again, spot on. I mentioned at writer’s that his poem gave me a little existential crisis. But, that was a bit of a lie to hide the real truth. 

In reality, Eric’s poem just confirmed my most recent premonition, and that scared me to my core. 

Still, I said very little, if nothing at all. Again, was it even my place to say anything? If so, how the hell would I even break such news? 

Well… about a month after these feelings first cropped up, they peaked the week Eric texted me he wouldn’t make it to writer’s group because his blood pressure was too low. 

“Oh…. Fuck.”  I said aloud to myself when I got that text. Eric almost never skips out on writer’s group.  

Knowing there wasn’t anything I could do, I sat down on my bed and began to pray, asking God for yet another miracle. 

Less than a week later, tonight (Saturday), just as I was laying down to go to sleep, I found out through Eric’s niece, Megan, that he’d been hospitalized after suffering “a heart attack and two small strokes.” 

I quickly called Megan to get more information much more rapidly, much like how I called my aunt Jessie (the ER nurse of the family) to give me as many details as possible when my grandpa Lyle was having his heart attack. Thankfully, according to Megan, Eric was stable and conscious at the hospital, and should make a full recovery. 

But, as of now (10:30 PM on Saturday), that’s all I know. 

Even though I long for more knowledge on the wellbeing of my friend, I also know that I couldn’t do anything with said knowledge. So, all I can do right now is put my faith in Christ, and pray.