The Life He Has Now

    This poem is along the same thoughts as the previous one for Roddy. Unfortunately, I do not know my cousin Rusty very well because we lived so far apart, his family in Sacramento, mine in Missoula. I barely knew him before his accident, but he now lives in the Boise area, and we used to travel there frequently for Reed's work. Uncle Ed and Rusty would meet us for dinner when we were in the area and, though his slow speech is hard to understand, I have come to know some things about Rusty. For one thing, He knows the Lord and that gives us more common ground than being cousins ever could. For another, he is perpetually smiling and seems content with his life. 

    The reason for this poem is to address "quality of life" because it is used as societal justification for both abortion and euthanasia. The problem is neither individuals nor our culture has any right to determine quality of life on another's behalf. Quality does not come from having perfect genes, or health, or family life, or any other external factor. It comes from the attitude of the individual, and that cannot be determined by a genetic test, physician, or mental health counselor. As I've said before, handicapped or not, people are generally as happy or unhappy as they choose to be.

 The Life He Has Now

My cousin Rusty went from being

a tall, handsome high school quarterback

to a rodeo riding, horse trainer,

married, with a young son.

A horse accident turned him into

a brain injured paraplegic--

no longer married.

Much has been taken from him,

but not his love for God, or horses

or enjoyment of life.

He requires assistance,

but lives in his own apartment.

A motorized wheelchair

lets him navigate his small town.

A computer gives him access to

the horses he cannot ride,

and relatives he cannot visit.

In these days of assisted suicide,

he might have let the injury-induced depression

determine the end his life.

I’m sure he misses the life he had,

the things he cannot do.

But he would also miss

the life he has now.

Our times are in God’s hands.

But the quality of each man’s life

is in his own.

4/7/2018