Trading Places

By Jerry Mack Grubbs
 
It was a warm summer day. Dad and I were sitting by a stream with water tumbling over the rocks. The water made a gurgling sound as it worked its way around and over the rocks trying to catch back up with the flow of the stream. Dad and I sat mesmerized, watching the water and enjoying the solitude of our surroundings.

I had the feeling that I was experiencing a singular moment that I would never be able to reconstruct. Dad's age coupled with the distance we lived apart helped me realize how precious these times together were. As we sat by the stream looking at our reflections in the water, a third image appeared by my side. "What would you trade for someone else to have a day like today with their father?" asked the image. Turning around I looked to see who was speaking to me and creating the image in the water next to me but there was no one there. I looked back toward the water and the image was still there. He repeated the same question but this time he explained that the trade would be for someone to be able to spend a day with their deceased father.

It was obvious that my father didn't see or hear the image that was communicating with me. I wondered who the image was referring to. I was shocked that the image in the water read my thoughts and answered, "Linda." "What would you trade for Linda to be able to spend a day with her dad?" he asked. Once again, thinking in my mind I asked what it would require. It was as thought the image was bargaining with me. "Would you trade a day of your life for her to have a day with her dad?" I must have answered too quickly for the image immediately asked if I would trade a week of my life. Once again I answered, "Yes."

"It is easy to trade your own life for someone you love. But would you be willing to trade someone else's life?" asked the image reflected in the water. "I can't make that decision for someone else," I said. "Take me. Take a week of my life and let her spend a day with her dad." "I will take a day of your life and a week of your dad's life in exchange for Linda being able to spend a day with her dad." I knew that I would visit with my dad and ask how he felt about it but I already knew what his answer would be.  I knew that a week of my dad's life was asking more than a week of my life because of his age.

Realizing what a blessing that would be for Linda and her dad, I immediately began to think of others who might also benefit from such an experience with a deceased relative. I thought of Kaye spending a day with her mother and Renee spending a day with her dad. There he was reading my thoughts once more, the image in the water said that for each trade I desired I would have to give a day of my life but the other person would have to give a week. He explained that for Kaye to spend a day with her mother, my mother would have to give a week of her life and for Renee to spend a day with her dad, my father would be required to forfeit another week of his life. Then a line of people paraded before my mind and a sadness came over me as I realized that I could not grant each of them such an experience. I couldn't ask so much of my parents.

On top of those requirements there would be one other stipulation. I would never be able to discuss with Linda, Kaye or Renee what had been traded for them to have such an experience with their parent nor could I or my parents ever take any credit for what transpired. I agree to all the terms of our agreement and as I turned to ask dad if he could see the image in the water who had been speaking to me, I awoke.