In Passing

My father passed away this morning. My mother had checked his blood pressure and oxygen level around 4:15 am and all was fine. She dozed off and awoke around 5:20 am and checked his blood pressure again and there was none. She called my sister and I about 15 minutes till 6 am. I came right over. We waited on the Hospice nurse to come and pronounce him. We waited for the funeral home to come and collect him. The nurse and I destroyed the medicines that were left (or unused). My mother and I made phone calls to various family members starting at 7 am. My sister arrived before he had been removed. She was shocked and distraught at that, but I couldn't get to the door in time to stop her from bursting in. She has a thing about that. She won't even pay respects before they close a casket. Never has. Never will I guess. The rest of the morning was an endless parade of well wishing family and friends. We did finally get away for the afternoon to go make the arrangements at the funeral home. Tomorrow my mother and I will go to the cemetery to finish up that process.

The visitation is from 1 to 2:30 at Siler Presbyterian Church in Wesley Chapel. Followed immediately by the service in the sanctuary. Internment service will be at 3:30 at Lakeland Memorial Park on highway 200 in Monroe.

It's now after 9pm. I'm exhausted and so is my mother. I'm spending the night here with her. The house is eerily quiet without the hum of the oxygen generator in the background. I've ran between my house and hers four times today, to shower or change clothes or check on Izzy. Last night as I went out the door, I yelled to my father, "I love you." He answered back, "I love you too." I didn't know it would be for the last time.

(Work has given me 5 paid days off. Monday thru Friday. I was already scheduled to be off Saturday, Sunday and Monday. I'll return to work next Tuesday.)