Gone Home.....

My Dad died at 3:05 this afternoon. I was alone with him as he slipped away, holding his hand and telling him how much We loved him and how much He had meant to us. I know he was ready to leave his painful body. I know because he would not even eat chocolate anymore. He looked peaceful and like he was finally getting the rest he needed. Though he looked old, his spirit was still young and I had taken the picture shown to let the hospice staff know what a great looking guy he'd been for most of his life. He had waited for me to arrive in his room before going....I'm sure of that.

I had been trying to get to the hospital for several hours, but I had offered to sell my Dad's car to one of the caregivers who needed good transportation. She needed to wire the money from an out of town bank to my folks so I had been delayed at the bank. I arrived at hospice at 3:00. My Dad was alone and I immediately noticed a difference in his appearance from my morning visit, and I could not discern any noticeable breathing. Stepping to the nurses station I asked about his condition and Samantha said she had checked on him just 10 minutes prior. She came with me to his room and said what I had thought, "he is in the process of leaving us right this minute". She checked his pulse and got a faint response. Within 2 minutes he was gone.

I am blessed, I am grateful and God had a good plan for me today. The cycle of life is complete. My Dad was present when I was born, I was with him when he died, but it is yet another hole in my heart right now. But there is beauty in the world still, I did get to see the most beautiful woman in the world later in the day...if only for minutes. Another wonderful experience, yet extremely hard in it's own way.

And pictures are not enough to convey my thanks and that of my Mother to all those who helped make the process a spiritual trip, but here are the wonderful people at Hospice present when my Dad left us. Samantha, the girl on the far right was with me in the room with my Dad.

Tuesday update: A new day dawns, the first day without my Dad present in our lives. We had a good gift today however to help to start with the healing. Our friend, noted newspaper story teller Ed Todd stopped by my Mom's house to help write my Dad's obituary and to garner information for a newspaper story honoring "Big Wally". We pulled out old pictures, letters, honors he had received and related our stories of a great life. Ed has known just about everyone in Midland over the last 40 years so it was a great pleasure to hear him say, "you know, I liked and respected your Dad as much as anyone I've ever known here, he always did the right thing". Amen
Newpaper Article on my Dad