Mike, however, was naturally cautious. There were times I thought his default was ‘no.’ (He said ‘yes’ plenty of times; my selfish assertiveness was triggered when he said no to me.)
I mostly don’t live on the edge now. I do say yes, often, to new experiences. Mike’s thoughtfulness was a good counter to my impulsiveness, and I frequently wonder “WWMD” as I make decisions for myself.
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| He was usually a cautious driver. Not this night, though. He ran into a tree which had fallen across Rt. 12. He started his last round of chemo the next day. That – and the dark night – might explain his not seeing the fallen tree. |
How was Mike cautious?
Let me count the ways.
He waited two minutes after arming the home alarm to make sure nothing went wrong before we left the property.
He held his breath as I drove him to clinic appointments, certain we would be late. I was never late. Not once.
Until he sold his mother’s house, he made a daily 24-mile round trip to ensure it was still standing.
He always had a contingency plan. Did he ever surprise me?
He put my name on the deed to our house in 2021, sixteen months before he died. And this.
