Amazing Grace

It was a year ago that I said goodbye to my dad. He spent the last two months of his life in the hospital. In our hospital, children under 12 are not allowed past the lobby. We had a meeting with the hospital social worker to plan for his transfer to a nursing home. I told her I was glad because the kids had not seen him for two months. Prior to that, he had lived with us for 3 months, so they were really missing him. I am so thankful for the hospital social worker as she arranged for my children to go and see him right then. I remember how he talked with them and smiled at them, and of course, joked with them. They were so excited to see him. That was in the afternnoon, and that evening, I got a call from the hospital that I should come, he was in his final stages, and his breathing was very slow. I cried all the way to the hospital. Mostly because I was so grateful taht God had arranged for a very special, last time memory for my children and my dad. As I entered his room, he looked asleep. He was breathing, very slowly. I grabbed his hand and talked to him. I told him I loved him and we would miss him. I told him to say hi to grandma for me and thank her for teaching me about Jesus at an early age. Then I sang "Amazing Grace", and as I sang the last line of the song, I watched him take his last breath and he was gone. Later, a friend told me "He was a showman to the end . . . he took his final bow at the end of the song." How true . . . how very true. That's my dad.

I know my dad was just hanging out at the hospital until he got to see his grandkids one more time. And I know he waited until I got there to finally go. And how like him to wait until the final line of the song to leave. He was just that stubborn to wait . . . and I am so glad he did.

His service was at the San Joaquin National Cemetary. This is where he wanted to be laid to rest. It was an awesome service.

Thank you to my family and friends for your support, prayers, and love during this time of our lives. We were truly blessed!