A Bittersweet Goodbye

Hello, dear friends.  I did not intend to be away from you for nearly as long as I have been.  But the Good Lord had other plans.

A few weeks ago, my Sista received a call from my Dad's nurse who told her that he was not doing well and strongly recommended that we make a visit as soon as possible. We flew down the next morning.

My Dad has lived in a lovely Assisted Living facility in Austin, TX for eight years.  For about a week, he had been spending time in the Health Center on campus due to frequent falls.  

We entered my Dad's room and found him sitting in his favorite leather recliner dressed to the nines in his customary cashmere sweater, Polo button-down, and khakis.  His beloved aide, Mozel was perched next to him holding his hand.

Sista and I gave him a kiss and asked him how he felt. He gave his usual answer which was "great!" accompanied by a thumbs-up gesture.

Clearly, my dear old Dad had failed tremendously in the few weeks since his 100th Birthday Celebration.

We were told by his Doctor that he would not be leaving the Health Center and that his days were numbered.  The assisted living facility informed us that we had 30 days to move him out of his apartment.

It would take a village to help us through the next days.

Lucky for us, my Dad had many loving friends.  Most of them were younger than Sista and me.  All were more than eager to give us a  much-needed hug and lend a helping hand.  We accepted their touching kindness with grateful hearts.

As the days wore on, our Dad's body grew weaker but his positive attitude remained steady.  Not once did we hear him complain.

Last Saturday morning, June 9th, my sweet old Dad left this world with a deep sigh, a satisfied smile, and a legacy that will never be forgotten. 

 As he slowly left this life, my Dad knew in his heart of hearts that he had lived life to its fullest.

Happy Father's Day, Dad.
I love you.

Until next time...