matt_mcl, you are the living proof that your father did quite well in his life.
There are no words at my disposal that could possibly ease the time to come for you. Saying goodbye to a loved one who is about to leave this earth is the hardest fucking thing in the world. It’s never easy.
Find peace in the fact that you are able to make your ammends, to say goodbye, to not have him taken away from you instantly by some freak accident. It’s a small comfort, but it’s more than some people get, at times.
I wish you and your family lots of strength in the time ahead, matt. And I hope your father’s last days will be peaceful, and painless.
I’m so sorry.
[sub]It hits very close to home for me, dealing with my father’s cancer currently as well. Luckily, he seems to be doing OK during the radiation so far (6 out of 30 treatments over and done with), and the outlook is good. He’s not in danger of dying anytime soon, but with cancer, you can never help but think what surprise is next, you know?[/sub]
matt_mcl, I am so sorry to hear. You probably don’t know me well at all, but I do offer my most sincere condolences to you. Although it seems a bit wrong to say, in a way, you should be thankful. You are at least getting a chance to say your goodbyes, and tell your dad that you love him.
A lot of people, myself included, never had that chance with a loved one.
I wish you, your family, and most of all, your father peace.
I’m sorry to hear about your dad, matt. I’ve seen you talk about him on the boards before, and he sounded like quite a guy. Heck, he raised you, didn’t he? Clearly, he had a lot on the ball.
I’ve been there, too. One of the last things I talked about with my dad was the fishing trips we had taken together. He said that he had left a few for me, and I told him I’d catch the ones he missed.
His ashes went into the Mississippi River near an island where we used to fish. I usually go to that place on opening day, and I haven’t been skunked yet.
I’m so very, very sorry, Matt. I’ll keep the [family name deleted at the request of the OP] in my thoughts. My wish for you is that someday, when you look back on these last days, you have no great regrets. (I hope that came out in the spirit in which it was intended.)
The only thing we’re put on Earth to do is love and be loved, you don’t need to worry about anything else. Best wishes to you and yours, here’s hoping you spot the moments of intense beauty amidst all the intensity.
My father died at 5:30 this afternoon, on his and Mom’s 24th wedding anniversary, in a hospital two blocks north of where they were married.
It was so swift. My mother and I were at their house for a quick rest when my aunt called us to come quickly. By the time we got there, he was gone. He just went very smoothly and painlessly.
Thank you to everyone who’s expressed their good will.
