My dad died this past Thursday night around 11:13 PM.
My youngest sister Kim was with him.
It was an answer to my prayers.
When my brother Steve and I stopped in to see him this past Sunday morning, I was taken back by how much he had declined since I’d last seen him.
I am not going to go into all of the twists and turns of his declining health this past year, other than to say, those of you that have experience with an elderly loved one, who is gradually losing both their mental and physical abilities, know it is hard.
When I came home from the visit, I told my wife, I am going to pray that God would take him home soon. Four days later He answered my request.
Grief comes in all shapes and sizes. .
This afternoon, I was jotting down a short memory that my niece will read at the close of the service. (Anyone who wanted to share a story was invited to submit them)
Below is what I’m submitting…
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One of Doug’s Memories…
It was my senior year in high school. Mom and dad had told us growing up, that if we waited to drink until we were 18 they would give each of us $100.00
Well, this was after I’d collected that $100. 🙂 I woke up one Saturday morning with a bad hangover…. I had stayed out really late the night before, was dead tired, had a splitting headache, and all I wanted to do was get a little more sleep.
Saturday mornings growing up on the farm were usually busy….
Between milking cows, grinding feed, pitching manure, and doing fieldwork there was always something to do.
I remember feeling so miserable that morning, I just wanted to hide, so I crawled up in the cab of the combine to get a little nap.
Dad found me. Still remember a part of what he said, “I don’t care how late you stay out, but come Saturday morning, you’re going to work!
My relationship with dad was not touchy feely/ (not like my sisters)…
I have no doubt that he loved me, but there was not a lot of hugging or saying “I love you” between the two of us, but I can point to several values he tried to instill in me.
He told me to make sure I had a firm handshake.
Look people in the eye when you’re talking to him.
And be a man of your word….
Some of you probably know this, but dad and uncle Johnny built the local Bank, back in the mid 1970’s on a handshake between them and the bank president.
Those are the kind of things dad tried to instill in us.
One final thought…I’m not 100% sure if dad can see what’s going on today…. But if he can, I wanted to say this….“Dad, if you can hear this, want you to know, we will continue to come along side mom and help her out as much as she wants…she’ll be OK. “
Love, Your Eldest.
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One of dad’s favorite songs was a song by Mercy Me, I Can Only Imagine.
The song talks about standing in the presence of God after we finish this gig called life. My sister Kim told us later, she’d played that song for dad off her smart phone, not 5 minutes before he passed.
In case you’re wondering how I’m doing, honestly, I’m doing OK.
I’m not in shock.
It’s more of a mix between relief and exhaustion.
Take care, DM