A Black Swan to Remember

In 2008, I read the book, The Black Swan. The book uses “black swan” as a metaphor to describe an unexpected significant event, good or bad. I had never seen a black swan, but soon I was seeing posters with black swans all over town. Every time, it reminded me of the unexpected.

News soon came that my mother had been in an accident while on vacation in Kauai. I traveled there, saw my mother still in a coma, and then friends took me to dinner. It was at that restaurant I saw, for the first time, a pair of Black-Necked Swans (white with black necks). Again, I was reminded of unexpected events, black or white, bitter or sweet, sometimes both. So, I called Janet to come be with her sister. I told her of the interesting coincidences involving the book, posters in Holland, and black-necked swans.

A few days later was Easter Sunday, so we went to a new place for brunch. As we walked toward the restaurant, the path took us over a bridge spanning a goldfish pond. As we looked out over the water, there we saw a pair of swans, but this time they were completely black and the first black swans I had ever seen. Immediately, I knew what God was telling me: my mother was going to pass away, but I didn’t have to be afraid because ‘He’ was present.

After lunch, we returned to the hospital. Two hours later, my mother passed away. She was in my arms, I told her I loved her and would until the end of my days. We were with her when she breathed her last breath. We both wept… but we also knew the Lord was there.