We were startled awake at 6:30 this morning. It was Art's aunt. When I heard Art say, "Oh Auntie, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry," I felt such sadness. We were going to have that party with Uncle and all the cousins. We were going to bring over those apple muffins as soon as he got home. We were going to...
Uncle had passed away a half hour earlier and they were having the Buddhist pillow side service at the hospital in an hour. Art called two other cousins just to let them know but didn't expect them to come since they live rather far away. We hurriedly got ourselves dressed and rushed over to the hospital.
The room was crowded with Auntie and cousins and the service was already underway. The reverend must have arrived early and had begun the prayers. When it was about done, we were surprised to see the cousins that Art called arrive. I told one cousin, he had to have sped over to get here. He sheepishly nodded.
Uncle and Auntie's two daughters are nurses and they had an amazing story to tell us. Apparently last night Uncle's heart became very erratic. Seeing the heart monitor, Susan knew that things weren't looking good so she called her mother and told her to come back to the hospital. It then got to the point where Susan said you need the paddles to shock the heart back to life. She knew her father was leaving them. She called to him entreating, "Dad, mom is coming. Please wait for her." And suddenly, the monitor showed his heart coming back and stabilizing.
He awoke later, surprised and said, "I died earlier but I had to come back." Susan told him, "I called you back, Dad...to wait for Mom."
Then with all his family around him, having said his loving goodbyes, his son said, "In a short time he was ready and we told him it was alright for him to go and he left us."
I can't seem to stop my tears right now. It's not just the sadness but the beauty of his farewell. I'm actually happy for him and happy for his family. Partings are never easy. I can see his smile and hear his voice, "I'll see you later."
Oh, my dearest Kay, I can barely see to type for the tears in my eyes! What a beautiful, wonderful story of what love can do even as we are dying! Thank you so much for sharing this, it reaffirms all that I believe about life, death and the human spirit. My thoughts are with you all!
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry for your loss. It is amazing that Mom got there in time so that goodbyes could be said.
ReplyDeleteBaruch dayan emet.
ReplyDeleteDear Art and Kay, may you be comforted in this time of loss.
Thank you for introducing Uncle, z"l, to us last week.
What a blessing to die in peace surrounded by one's loved ones.
And Uncle was allowed to, and willed himself to come back from death in order to say goodbye. Such a high level of spiritual consciousness and merit he must have had!
His memory will be a blessing to you and even now to us.
Love to you all.
What a sweet and beautiful parting; what a wonderful man to wait for his family!
ReplyDeleteKay, I'm so sorry you've lost him (for now). But I'm glad you have such wise cousins who cared so well for him, and the comfort you've found in how he said goodbye. When my mother died, it meant so much to me to know that she'd died in her sleep in her own bed, because that was what she wanted, she always prayed she would go that way. I hope and pray I do as well as my Mom, and Art's uncle have.
Good luck and take good care of yourself and Art over the coming days. I'll be thinking of you often! And you know, every time I see an apple muffin I'll think of him.
Oh Kay I am truly sorry for the loss of Art's Uncle. I know Art was very close to him. Hugs to you both!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to learn of the loss of Art's special uncle, Kay.
ReplyDeleteOh Kay..I am so sorry. I went back to the earlier post to reread it about your Uncle and it seemed he was feeling better. For Uncle to be able to come back for his wife is so amazing and his gentle passing was something he earned for being such a good person....Michelle
ReplyDeleteYour post brought tears to my eyes. Yes, it was a beautiful farewell to his loved ones. I hope that when I die, I will be as fortunate.
ReplyDeleteKay;
ReplyDeleteI just got back from Chicago and I read your currnet post. I am so sorry for your families loss. What a beautiful way that Uncle took care of all of you in the end. So moving but so very sad.
My heart is touched so and my prayers are with you all!
Dear Kay, you, Art and all your family are in my thoughts during this sad time. What an amazing post about Uncle and his leaving you all, an amazing man. Please take care.
ReplyDeleteDear Kay & Art,
ReplyDeleteI'm so sad to hear about your Uncle's passing. It was so wonderful that when his daughter asked him to come back to wait for mom, that he did. That is truly amazing. I'm so very happy that he had his family around him and did not leave this earth alone.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
HUGS
Keep up the great posts. Love, light and blessings to you and your family :)
ReplyDeleteI'm ever so sorry Kay, the love you have for your uncle comes through and I know it must be a very sad loss to you all. My thoughts and prayers are with each and every one of you.
ReplyDeletesaying goodbye is never easy but that's truly a beautiful story of love. may you be conforted in knowing that your loved one is still near and will be there one day to greet your family when it's your time to depart. touching story...
ReplyDeleteA beautiful and moving story, and a loving and lovely ending to a life.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry for your loss but glad he was able to see your aunt before he passed and especially great that all of you were able to be there for her.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how this works but I saw it happen myself when I was about 9 years old. It does bring tears to your eyes.
ReplyDelete"It's not just the sadness but the beauty of his farewell." I am crying with you my friend.
ReplyDeleteHugs to you.
So, so very sorry for the loss but what a story.
ReplyDeleteOh Kay and Art, I am so sorry for your loss. What a beautiful story. A wonderful ending to your uncles life knowing he was surrounded by the people he loved. His family have a lot of wonderful memories with the final one being so very special. May we all be so lucky.
ReplyDeleteMy heartfelt condolences for you loss, what an amazing ending though.
ReplyDeleteOur hearts go out to your family. The wife's parents did much the same as we sped the 200+ miles there on short notice both times. Love is powerful indeed.
ReplyDeleteOh, Kay, I've only just got to this post, and I'm so sorry for you and Art to have lost your Uncle. How lovely though that he was able to have his family around him at the end. Both my mother and Christopher's mother were alone when they died, and my heart still aches about that. Your earlier post about your Uncle was so lovely, what a special man he must have been, and how much you will all miss him.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry for your loss. Your family has such a special closeness and I'm sure you will all get through this together with each other's love and support.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry for your loss, but am so touched by this story. It is truly wonderful when one can be blessed with someone at their side as they depart this life.
ReplyDeleteMy dad was in a coma the last week of his life, in Hospice. It was horrible, the waiting. He passed away on a Saturday, but on Wednesday, he came out of the coma and gave each of us a message. The interesting thing was, having had Alzheimer's and losing the ability to speak for the last two years of his life, he spoke to each of us. It was incredible and we knew the end was near.
It is so hard to lose someone we love, but what greater gift can we give than to be with them to help them let go.
My prayers are with you and your loved ones in your time of sorrow.
ReplyDeleteHugs and blessings,