A WIFE’S COMPASSION

An elderly man lay dying in his bed. In death’s agony, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite desert…chocolate chip cookies wafting of the stairs.

He gathered his remaining strength and lifted himself from the bed. Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and with even greater effort forced himself down the stairs. Gripping the railing with both hands and with labored breath, he finally made it to the bottom and then inched his way toward the kitchen. At last he made it and leaned against the door frame and gazed into the kitchen.

Were it not for death’s agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven. For there, spread out upon newspapers on the kitchen table, were literally hundreds of his favorite chocolate chip cookies. Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted wife, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?

Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself toward the table. He landed on his knees in a crumpled posture. But a smile was etched on his wrinkled face and his parched lips parted. He could already imagine the wondrous taste of the cookies and this brought him back to life. His shaking, aged and withered hand slowly made its way to a cookie at the edge of the table.

Suddenly and out of nowhere, a spatula loudly smacked his hand. His wife growled, “Stay out of those. They’re for the funeral.”

WEN