Saying Goodbye

This week, my family said goodbye to a precious man. As painful as it was, I was honored to stand with loved ones and hold Grandpa's hand as he passed from this life into Heaven. I wanted to write my feelings out while they were fresh in my mind to look back on, but to be honest I feel completely numb. It was a difficult day watching my grandfather struggle, but even through pain, God brought special moments to remember in his last days. I will never forget the look in my grandfathers eyes and the audible cry he made when I walked into his room on Friday night. He held my hand to his chest for the longest time and cried. He did the same thing as Mandy and Josh arrived. He was so happy knowing that his granddaughters were with him. The rest of the night was quiet as he was tired and slept through the night. The next morning I woke up and was pleasantly surprised to see him awake and alert eating a bowl of cereal and reading the newspaper!!! He smiled, said good morning, and promptly gave me my instructions for the day. You see, my grandfather has been teaching me basic wood work for a few months and we have been working on a few projects. Unfortunately, due to his health, Grandpa could only do so much so he usually sat in a chair while I did the "handy work." My father also worked countless hours in the workshop to help my Grandpa finish his special projects. Before I went out to the workshop for the day, Grandpa had my father and Rick bring in a present for me. He said it was " a gift for his baby girl" for helping him out in the workshop and taking care of him." I just laughed when they brought it in. He bought me my own band saw to work on projects in my own home. He had the biggest smile on his face...


I went out to the shop to work on a few projects. I needed to cut out a few pieces and then sand them down. I always am VERY cautious when working with the saw (hello, I like my fingers). Unfortunately, I guess I don't have the same caution for the electric sander and I cut my finger. I ran in to show grandpa my first shop injury. By that time he was getting tired, but he promptly took my finger and kissed it. What a sweetheart.
The rest of the day and night he slept soundly. He was very weak and we knew he was fading. Thankfully, my aunt Linda arrived in town that afternoon. He had a rough night and when Sunday morning arrived, I knew that this most likely was going to be his last day on earth. Hospice came in to check on him and spoke with the family. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Hospice. Our nurse, Susan, was amazing and calmly explained what happens during the last stages of life. When she left, the whole family joined hands, circled grandpa's bed, and prayed over him, reciting the Lord's Prayer. I believe that although he was still living at this time, he was at peace. Around 1:20pm, my brother in law came in to let us know that he would be leaving to set up for a camping trip. He gave hugs all around and said goodbye to Grandpa. As he was walking out, I saw Grandpa's breathing start to slow down and I ran to his bedside. My aunt Linda was on the other side and my father was next to her holding Grandpa's legs. I remember telling Josh (my brother-in-law) to get my mom, sister, and Rick. The next thing I remember is holding Grandpa's hand, stroking his hair, and joining with everyone in saying our last goodbyes. I clearly see each member of my family crying, I hear my father thanking him for not only being his father, but for being his best friend, I feel my mom's hands firmly grasping my shoulders behind me for support and Rick kneeling at the foot of his bed. My aunt held a picture of my beautiful Grandmother up to his face, softly telling him to go home to Jesus and his sweetheart and my sister sat at the edge his bed quietly weeping with Josh behind her. We all stood their honoring one of the greatest men in this world, thanking him for his service to his family, and holding him as he took his last breath and went to heaven. We will never be the same without him on this earth, but we hold his legacy in our hearts and have faith that we will be with him again.