Stephen and I went to see Mallory and Rob in Houston this past weekend. While we were there, I noticed that my father was uneasy with me being gone. He wanted me to be with my daughter but also kept asking when I was returning...Monday of this week, I came in from Houston and met my brother and father at Peterson Memorial Hospital at the emergency room. I was greeted by the doctor who asked me if I had the advanced directives as my father was not doing well and they needed to know what to do...He began to tell me that dad had pneumonia in his right lung, his kidney's were shutting down and he wasn't sure he could overcome the pneumonia with his other health conditions. After kissing Daddy and talking to him a little, Stephen and I went to the house to find the advanced directives. He was quickly put on a special breathing machine to keep him breathing until my sister could arrive. In the mean time, I signed the papers once again for someone I loved to put them on Hospice. Dad struggled with each breath and didn't say much all evening. He held my hand and held Stephen's. It was a sweet time.
My sister arrived after 10:00 pm and spent the night with Dad. They needed that time. Tuesday was a long and intense day as we embraced the reality that he was quickly slipping away from life here on this earth. At 6:13 p m with all of us standing around singing Amazing Grace, he tok his last breath here on earth and his first in heaven.
We will have a visitation Friday at Grimes Funeral Chapel from 5-7 and a memorial service on Saturday at 2:00 at Grace Bible Chapel.
These are such difficult moments in our life. Part of us wants to turn back the clock and have the vibrant father we knew when we were younger, be back with all his strength and wisdom. And another part knows that this man has lived faithfully serving the Lord and will now be rewarded with his perfect home in heaven - a far better choice than to go back in time. How precious that your father was prepared for this time and that you were also. Thanks for sharing.
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