I don't know who reads this but I thought I might ought to update.
Dad passed away on June 26, 2015 at 8:25 pm. The official time is listed as 9:30 because it took over an hour for the hospice worker to get there and verify the passing. It was an event I will never forget and will always be grateful that I could witness.
Mom slept in the room as long as Dad was there. I stayed over night on nights when he looked particularly bad. I'd wake up and he'd still be there so I went home the next night to sleep. On Thursday the 25th my brother and his wife came and we all stayed. Doug read to Dad some of his favorite poems and we played Glenn Miller cd's (another favorite). Mom, Marivel and I kind of took turns watching and sleeping during the night.
On Friday the 26th the day was as our new normal. We all stirred around, ate, visited, and decided that I would go home later that night and Doug and Marivel would stay and go home Saturday. Terri and her kids (who live there), Scott, Katy and their kids were all there most of the day. As it got later Mom was sleeping on the couch and the house was quietly buzzing with everyone going about the business of life. I went in to sit with Dad and knew things weren't going to last much longer. We had already spent time reading about the signs of end of life and he had them all. It was hard to tell if he was breathing or not so I put my hand on his chest. Two short inhales and he was gone.
The next couple of hours was hard but Hospice made things so much easier. Once I called them, they made all the other calls and arrangements so we could spend time calling family. We had expected Dad to leave us any minute for three weeks but it was still hard when it happened. The funeral home guys got there and started to take Dad out. My brother Doug said no and stated that 'Dad came into this house on his own strength. He would leave it on the strength of his family'. So Doug, Scott and Rick carried him out. As they closed the bag my eight year old grandson Aylor gave him one last hug.
This won't be my last post because there are other stories. The tender mercies of our Father in Heaven got us through this process in ways that need not be forgotten. There are people who helped us in so many ways for which I will be eternally grateful, not the least of which is my daughter and daughter-in-law Terri and Katy and my husband who for three weeks didn't know when or where dinner was and if his wife was or wasn't coming home.
