Grace

Ben Sasse is a former republican senator who at age 54 is dying of pancreatic cancer. It started in the pancreas but has spread to his entire body and is now at stage 4. He is receiving hospice type care with possibly not more than a few months to live. 

I watched an interview with him lately conducted by The New York Times and what struck me was his demeanor and composure. This man had come to terms with his mortality in an impressive way. 

There was undeniable peace and acceptance there which cannot be faked.

Sasse had been a moderate who had faced attack from both sides of the aisle. No doubt this makes him even more impressive since it shows conviction carries more weight with him than partisan allegiance. 

Unsurprisingly he wasn't MAGA.

He sat there answering questions with sometimes self-effacing humor; the bloodied blotches on his face the result of the harsh medication he takes to reduce the size of his tumors. 

We are offered grace and dignity in our most challenging life moments and if we choose to accept it, it can radiate from our very pores; bloodied or otherwise.