Now these are the last words of David. — 2 Samuel 23:1a.
I consider myself fortunate to have been with both my mother and father when they passed. Dad struggled those last hours and he couldn’t speak, but right before the end, a calm came over all his body and he squeezed my hand. My mother also struggled spending the last days on a ventilator until it was decided to take her off, but in the end she looked at my sisters and me and said, “I’m going home,” and smiled.
When I read today’s scripture, I thought of them both and my good fortune to be with them and witness the peace that settled on both at the end. One of the great tragedies of this terrible virus is that too many families can’t be with their loved ones at the end. Perhaps, the greater tragedy is that now such lonely passings are totally preventable.
God will call us home one day, let’s not speed up the process.
So very true, Webb. Your parents were so awesome and I was glad to be a part of their lives.
Be well,
JoAnne
Thank you. They loved you both as well as do I. Hope all is well. Love. Webb.
Thank you for your post. I share your feelings about speeding up the process of our eventual homecoming. Living in Texas with a governor who inspires the worst characteristics of the fiercely independent Texan is difficult for me. (BTW, I recently retired and am preparing to spend my retirement years in beautiful NW Arkansas fully vaccinated and masked when so advised by medical professionals.) I was not with my father when he died many years ago but was blessed to be with my mother when she died nine days ago. We were fortunate that by God’s grace she received the best of care in her last days with Medicare covering 100% of the cost of a lovely, peaceful inpatient hospice facility. Since you’re a man of faith, you’ll likely appreciate that a mistake on the paperwork given the ambulance company caused her to be taken to one of Dallas’ best hospitals 10 minutes away from my home prior to her transfer to hospice rather than a more distant hospital with a problematic history. Thanks be to God!