Most of us have been in a situation where we made a promise that for one reason or another we were unable to keep. When were you disappointed because someone made you a promise that they failed to keep? Or when did you break a promise that you made to someone else? Explain what happened and how it has affected you.
Honestly, I don't remember having broken many promises, but there is one that comes to mind that I don't think I will ever forget. Even though my breaking the promise was completely out of my control, I still feel horrible about it and wish I could go back in time to change things.
When I was about 29 years old, my grandfather was dieing in the hospital. He had called all of his family to his bedside and was saying his goodbyes over the course of a few days. During this time, my grandmother, his wife of 50-plus years, had a mild heart attack. The doctors put her on bed rest in a room about 5 minutes away from my grandfather. Harry and Millie hated to be separated, knowing this was to be their last few hours together on Earth. My grandma begged us to get her and wheel her to Harry's room when the time came for him to die. I promised I would get her so that she could spend Harry's last minutes holding his hand.
My grandfather had requested a DNR (do not resuscitate), so we knew if he had another heart attack, it would be his last. As the alarms flashed and the nurses told us he was in his last moments, I started down the hall to get my grandmother. But, my uncle stopped me. He wouldn't let me go. He said Millie only "thought" she wanted to be with him when he died, but that she would be better off remembering him alive. He thought he knew what was best for his mother.
I didn't want to start a fight with him, while his father lay dieing three feet away, but I will never forget Grandma's tears and scoldings: "Why didn't you come get me? I wanted to be with him! Why didn't anyone come get me?"
I believe my uncle was wrong to have stopped me, and I wish I hadn't listened to him. I should have gone down the hallway and followed my instincts and my Grandmother's request. It is too late to fix this mistake of mine, this broken promise, but I have learned to listen to what people say and to stand up for their requests in spite of what others might think is best for them.
