The Last Wink

Not so long ago, I got a call from my office. I was informed that one of my clients was in the hospital and was dying. They didn’t expect them to make it through the night. I made my way to the hospital. When I got there, I cleared my mind to be present for my client. My client was pretty much unresponsive. As I was holding their hand praying, they looked up at me and winked. 20 seconds later, they were unresponsive again.

It’s funny. It had been an brutal week and a long day, but I got the wink. They would wink all the time. It was like their calling card. Over the course of hours, their family and my side kick slowly rolled in. We cried, told stories, and even had a few laughs. Every now and again my client would open their eyes for a few minutes, before fading again.

At one point I did notice that my client winked at a family member. I thought, what a blessing. I walked out into the hallway and spoke with the doctor and some nurses. My side kicked joined me shortly thereafter. It was a Friday night, raining and getting late. With more family soon arriving, we decided that it would be best that we left. That this was a family matter. We said our goodbyes, we hugged and then we left.

I remember sitting in my car alone, wondering when my client was going to pass. Would they make it through the night, or would they find the strength to keep fighting. I called my wife and told her that I was on my way home. With an hour drive ahead of me, I had an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. I knew I would probably never see my client again, but at least I got a wink. It wasn’t the last wink. But it was my last wink. And with that, I felt truly blessed.