Hospice Taught Me Math

Hospice taught me math, without even opening a book.
First, there’s counting.
The breaths between the pain.
Second, subtraction.
The number of hours I have left with you.
Third comes fractions.
I learned what it’s like to hold your hand while thinking about how I’ll never do it again.
How an afternoon can feel like a lifetime but a lifetime can vanish in a single afternoon.
Hospice taught me addition.
One more bath.
One more story,
One more song.
One more kiss.
One more I love you.
Time isn’t measured by minutes or hours.
Calendars can’t predict the seconds left by your side.
Time is measured by love.
The love we shared and the love I will carry with me, forever.
Love can never be subtracted.

Rebecca Agauas is a woman who lives in Michigan. She is a person living with chronic illnesses and is an advocate for the chronic illness community. Rebecca has a love and passion for writing & considers writing a form of self-expression and self-reflection. She is a coffee addict, a bookworm, a lover of food, and a dreamer. You can find Rebecca on Instagram @rebeccaagauas.