I was just now thinking about the day my Dad died

Kathleen’s Place

Kathleen’s Place

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Wisconsin
41 years ago now. I was always a Daddy’s girl and was holding his hand when he passed away. Relieved for him that he was finally out of the pain he suffered through lung cancer, but totally crushed at the same time.
Our elderly family priest was called and immediately came over. I let go of my Dad’s hand to answer the door when he arrived.
He walked in and said, with a big smile, “Hallelujah, Leo is finally at home!” I could have smacked him. I was outraged. I wasn’t anywhere near the rejoice stage yet, nor would I be for sometime to come. I didn’t get it.
But now that I am elderly myself, I DO GET IT and say it myself when someone passes....especially after a long illness. I don’t say it out loud, or vocalize it to the family, but I truly do feel that happiness for the deceased now.
I don’t know why this popped in my mind this morning...nor do I know why I’m sharing it 🥴
 

I know how it feels to lose a parent, especially a wonderful Dad. I was always a Daddy's little girl. He is gone 23 yrs now and I think of him all the time. I was with my Dad the day he passed away and I remember it like it was just yesterday. My Niece threw herself on the bed and screamed "Dear God if you let my Poppy live I will never ask for a baby again." I cracked her and said, "Poppy would never want you to stop praying for a baby." A month later my Dad came to me in a dream and told me my niece would get a nice little boy in a few months. Sure enough, my niece was able to adopt a little boy a few months later, and she named him Matthew which means a gift from God. The adoption became final on my Dad's Birthday. I truly believe our loved ones never really leave us.
 
Being the atheist that I am, I have always struggled with death, which of course has not made life easy for me when it comes to losing loved ones.

The part that never fails to take me by surprise when thinking about those who have passed before me, is how fast time goes by. Far too many times over the course of my lifetime I have quietly pondered the death of someone and I'll think to myself, they've been gone for so long, and it isn't until I add up the years that it truly hits me.

I do know one thing, in speaking for how I felt when I lost my parents, and how I feel today being without them, the hurt never goes away.
 

Years after my grandma passed away my mom said to me, it never gets easier.
She was so right, after my parents passing and many other older members of the family I have never stopped grieving. I may control it and be able to talk about them without crying but the emptiness is always there. I know it will never go away and in some respect I don't want it to. I don't ever want to not remember my wonderful family.
I don't know if I will ever see them again, I hope so, but I do know that I will be beside them in the family grave site and that alone comforts me.
 
Ruth n Jersey said:
Years after my grandma passed away my mom said to me, it never gets easier.
She was so right, after my parents passing and many other older members of the family I have never stopped grieving. I may control it and be able to talk about them without crying but the emptiness is always there. I know it will never go away and in some respect I don't want it to. I don't ever want to not remember my wonderful family.
I don't know if I will ever see them again, I hope so, but I do know that I will be beside them in the family grave site and that alone comforts me.
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I believe with all my heart that we will meet with them again and never lose them again. ❤️
 
You don't know why that popped into your head this morning?
I do!
Your wonderful Dad probably came to you this morning to check on you. Because you are sweet and sensitive, you FELT HIM near you!
His spirit came to say hello!
You must be a beautiful and spiritual lady to pick up on this!
 
You're triggered a bittersweet memory - the final moments with my father. I had ridden cross country for a visit, which was something I did regularly. Among the first memories of him were when he came home from the war in the Pacific, took me out to the local airport in a jeep, put me in the front seat of a biplane and gave me my first airplane ride flying from the back seat. Later, he let me go out into the world on a motorcycle and I liked to come back on one - sort of a tradition. We had a nice visit, said our goodbyes and as I was mounting up, I saw dad in the window crying. He knew he was dying but I didn't so I rode off and never saw him alive again. It still hurts and I wish I had, like you, been with him at the time of passing. That regret notwithstanding, all my time with him over the years was an incredible gift and one for which I am forever thankful.
 
Sassycakes said:
I know how it feels to lose a parent, especially a wonderful Dad. I was always a Daddy's little girl. He is gone 23 yrs now and I think of him all the time. I was with my Dad the day he passed away and I remember it like it was just yesterday. My Niece threw herself on the bed and screamed "Dear God if you let my Poppy live I will never ask for a baby again." I cracked her and said, "Poppy would never want you to stop praying for a baby." A month later my Dad came to me in a dream and told me my niece would get a nice little boy in a few months. Sure enough, my niece was able to adopt a little boy a few months later, and she named him Matthew which means a gift from God. The adoption became final on my Dad's Birthday. I truly believe our loved ones never really leave us.
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How beautiful ❤️ And you are right...they never truly leave us. I’ll be complaining about something sometimes and just break out in a smile because I know EXACTLY what my Dad would say to me. “Grow up, Katie-girl!” ❤️❤️
 
Gaer said:
You don't know why that popped into your head this morning?
I do!
Your wonderful Dad probably came to you this morning to check on you. Because you are sweet and sensitive, you FELT HIM near you!
His spirit came to say hello!
You must be a beautiful and spiritual lady to pick up on this!
Click to expand...
❤️
 
JonDouglas said:
You're triggered a bittersweet memory - the final moments with my father. I had ridden cross country for a visit, which was something I did regularly. Among the first memories of him were when he came home from the war in the Pacific, took me out to the local airport in a jeep, put me in the front seat of a biplane and gave me my first airplane ride flying from the back seat. Later, he let me go out into the world on a motorcycle and I liked to come back on one - sort of a tradition. We had a nice visit, said our goodbyes and as I was mounting up, I saw dad in the window crying. He knew he was dying but I didn't so I rode off and never saw him alive again. It still hurts and I wish I had, like you, been with him at the time of passing. That regret notwithstanding, all my time with him over the years was an incredible gift and one for which I am forever thankful.
Click to expand...
❤️
 
Ruth n Jersey said:
Years after my grandma passed away my mom said to me, it never gets easier.
She was so right, after my parents passing and many other older members of the family I have never stopped grieving. I may control it and be able to talk about them without crying but the emptiness is always there. I know it will never go away and in some respect I don't want it to. I don't ever want to not remember my wonderful family.
I don't know if I will ever see them again, I hope so, but I do know that I will be beside them in the family grave site and that alone comforts me.
Click to expand...
I don’t grieve for my parents or those that I loved anymore. I don’t even really miss them, because they haven’t left me. Hard to explain, but they are all still so much a part of my life. When I make one of Mom’s recipes and look at her handwriting, it doesn’t make me cry...it makes me smile. The memories make me smile, andI feel like I am making it right there with her. Or my sister-in-law, who has also been gone for 40 years. We laugh together over our kids now. One of her kids will do something great and in my mind I think, “ya done did good, Karen!” Everybody is still so here with me and sharing my life still...and I love that.
 
This post got me thinking about my parents. My dad passed away several months after my mum. I was greeted at the door by my husband crying, he told me that my dad was in hospice. This was suppertime, I went to the travel agent got a ticket, back home to pack, out to the airport, flew to heathrow and the next morning I was at St Christophers. My sister was there, we spent hours with my dad then I told him that we were both there and that he could leave whenever he was ready. He passed away about 20minutes later. He never opened his eyes but I had fond memories of his visit with us 6 weeks earlier. Three days earlier at his house his neighbour told him that we would come, he replied "they had better hurry" My dad was the best dad and I am so thankful that I could be with him when he left this earth. The whole experience had an impact on my life, the staff at hospice were so caring that upon my return to Canada I started to volunteer with hospice.
 
RobinWren said:
This post got me thinking about my parents. My dad passed away several months after my mum. I was greeted at the door by my husband crying, he told me that my dad was in hospice. This was suppertime, I went to the travel agent got a ticket, back home to pack, out to the airport, flew to heathrow and the next morning I was at St Christophers. My sister was there, we spent hours with my dad then I told him that we were both there and that he could leave whenever he was ready. He passed away about 20minutes later. He never opened his eyes but I had fond memories of his visit with us 6 weeks earlier. Three days earlier at his house his neighbour told him that we would come, he replied "they had better hurry" My dad was the best dad and I am so thankful that I could be with him when he left this earth. The whole experience had an impact on my life, the staff at hospice were so caring that upon my return to Canada I started to volunteer with hospice.
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That is beautiful Robin. Happy you could be with him, and I personally, think it was particularly beautiful that he went so soon after your Mom. Terribly hard on you, I am sure, but it would be a wish of mine when we are in their shoes💕. And how VERY special that you volunteer for hospice. ❤️
 

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