Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Let me tell you about my Grandad

My grandfather is a proud old man.  Yes, he is really old--95 or 96--I lose count.  He was a WW 2 radio man.  He was a self-taught engineer.  He was an avid watcher of the stockmarket and political analyst on the side.  He loved his family.  I'd call and ask what he was doing.  He'd answer "just sitting around worrying about my grandkids." He drove for Meals on Wheels for many years.  He wouldn't step foot into a senior center until his late 80's because that was "for old folks."  He used to give each of us grandkids a bond for Christmas because he'd lived through the Depression and understood the importance of saving.  My grandfather was mentally sharp as a tack until Sunday night.  A stroke ravaged his mobility and mentation.  Tonight he is in Hospice care, spending his last hours on earth.  A great man.  A devoted family man.  A follower of Jesus Christ.  A treasure.  I'm a blessed woman.  I'll be 40 next month and still have grandparents.  My children have great-grandparents.  He is secure in his future and I know he is ready to go see his Maker.  During my 16 years as an RN, I've helped countless patients transition from this life.  This is heart-breaking, not because of death, but because of what he and grandmother have  had to endure the last few years.  I just want them to be whole and healthy and happy again--handing out Dr. Peppers and standing on the front porch waving as we drive away from the sweet 2bedroom house.
Tomorrow Mike will help the students at his school attend a funeral and grieve the death of a beloved football coach who passed away Monday.  It's a hard week. 

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