Goodbye Gramps...

My Gramps has always been ornery and strong willed. That lasted all the way to his last minutes. Friday night all five of his daughters spent the night at his house. Hospice sent a shift nurse to spend the entire night with him, so everyone got a good night’s rest. He slept all night holding Grams’ hand. Ever so often, he would squeeze her hand and she would sit up and talk to him. In the morning, the next nurse arrived and assessed him. He noticed some of the signs that the end was now beginning. His blood pressure was still good, but his heart rate had increased and his feet and hands were beginning to get cold. All the girls and Grams were gathered around his bed to listen to the nurse’s assessment. He was holding Grams’ hand. The nurse told them they had several hours to probably about a day left. My mom asked a question. Grams began to tell a story. My mom looked down at her Daddy…..and wondered…..she looked around the faces in the room to see if anyone else was wondering. Auntie T leaned in to look closer. The nurse stepped over with his stethoscope and listened, then patted Grams and Gramps’ clasped hands and told them, “I’m sorry, but your Daddy has just passed away in his sleep.” Just like that. We laugh now as we say that when the nurse said they had “hours” Gramps probably lay there thinking “That’s what YOU think!” He did things his own way, right to the end. He did not follow the “normal” progression of signs. He saw his window of opportunity to go the way he wanted to go, and that’s exactly what he did. There was no pain, no fear, no struggling for breath. He left the world surrounded by all his babies and holding the hand of his bride. My Gramps is an amazing man……