Three weeks ago, I rescued a baby chicken whose left leg was broken. She was frantically peeping away in the bushes next to the condo parking lot, calling to her nine siblings and momma, but it wasn't to be. Momma and siblings skidaddled away, and against my better judgement--Lena became the newest member of our family. How could I have left her there, helplessly awaiting certain doom? She may have been injured by a feral cat, and I couldn't let her sit until something else finished her off.

Yesterday, Paul's eldest sister Mary phoned to tell him that their mother, Shirley, had suffered a massive stroke on Wednesday night, and was in a coma. "She is not coming back to us, Paul" Mary sobbed. Shirley had just celebrated her 85th birthday on August 1 surrounded by 101 friends and family, and was "the queen of the picnic", very happy, Mary added.

Paul made arrangements, packed, called his boss, and boarded a flight last night that was supposed to depart at 9PM. I asked that he call me when he arrived in LA, and left my cell phone ringer on all night. The phone never rang. I was up every hour, trying to call Paul, but his voicemail box was full, and I couldn't leave a message.

This morning Paul called to say that the 9:00 flight was delayed for five hours in Lihue (Kauai) and sat on the tarmac with the doors open. Evidently the pilot "had an agenda" and refused to cancel the flight after first announcing there was to be a 30 minute delay while they "rebooted" the plane's electronic system.

Poor Paul got no sleep on the flight to LA, and when he arrived this morning, he had missed his connections, and all flights to Connecticut were booked. He was rebooked on a 7AM flight tomorrow, and spent the day today at the LA Westin with curtains drawn, air conditioning blasting (he loves it chilly!), catching up on some badly-needed sleep.

All the family has been to see Shirley as she lingers. We pray that Heavenly Father has a plan that includes Paul getting to say goodbye to his mom before she enters into eternal rest and peace. At this time I hearken back to the day we met The Missionaries, the day our dear friend Jean DePasquale passed after a three-year fight with ovarian cancer, the day Elders Haber and Ferguson uttered these words of comfort and consolation, when I asked "Where did Jean go?" from the Book of Mormon, Alma, Chapter 40:

11 Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

12 And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.

We read this passage to my dear mom, Ursula, as she lay in a coma from May 10 to 14th, 2007, and I know that she heard.

And now, amid the craziness of packing for Abu Dhabi, I've got to find a home for Miss Lena, book an early flight to join Paul and hopefully visit with Shirley, too. I hope and pray I can pull everything together in time. I know that our Father in Heaven is directing and guiding me, and that all will be perfect and according to His plan.