We never know how much time we have

Last night my grand-uncle went to sleep for the last time.

First thing this morning I took my son shopping.  We came out of the store about 6:45 to find medics near my car, administering CPR to someone.  Although I’ve held a first aid/CPR card since junior high (thus practiced on a mannequin for many years), this was the first time I’ve seen it done for real.  It would be fine with me if it’s also the last time I ever need to see it.  Truth be told, I was more concerned with the guy’s friend than seeing what they were doing.  She looked so distraught.  Can you imagine having to go through something like that alone?  I went over and gave her a shoulder to cry on.  It’s so sad that more people don’t know that heart attacks sometimes present with throat problems instead of chest pain.  I learned a little about our local EMS – they’re allowed to stop and call the coroner if it’s futile, and don’t have to transport to the hospital when a doctor won’t be able to help.

Uncle had a good, long life.  We will miss him.  The guy this morning didn’t look nearly old enough for his life to be over.  We just never know.

A friend recently gave me a book.  It was excellent, and seems particularly appropriate to recent events.

 

Here’s hoping you’re having a better day.

How Is Hot Lemonade Like Blood?

My favorite drink on cold mornings is hot lemonade.  I pour 2½ cups of boiling water into my Pyrex measuring cup, stir in ½ cup of honey, then mix in ½ cup of lemon juice.  It’s delicious (and soothing on a sore throat if you happen to have a cold).

What’s interesting is that, although the lemonade looks uniform when stirred together, if I only drink one cup and forget about the rest, the leftovers separate.  Fluids do that sometimes – if given a chance, the various components settle out.

Blood is like that.  It appears to be a thick, red liquid, but in fact has many different components.  When it’s being pumped through our bodies, blood stays all mixed together.  When a tube of blood is removed from someone’s body it’s possible to separate it into different layers.

Plasma will rise to the top, leaving the heavier blood cells beneath.  That’s one way to distinguish the components of blood:  cells vs. plasma.

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Settling out into different components is the only comparison being made here.