Goodbye Grandpa (a year later)

I wrote this a year ago, but just wasn't ready to post it.  After re-reading it today and tearing up, I realized that it was time.  As heart-wrenching as it was, this is what happened just as the girls turned 1 and 3 last year.  And the memories are precious.

GOODBYE GRANDPA
Today we drove to the three hours to say goodbye to Grandpa. Well, four hours when you count all the potty stops with a toddler in the car. Regardless, my prayer was just that we would have five minutes with Grandpa before he went Home to heaven. Getting a call at 12:30 (when we hadn’t eaten anything and were still 30 minutes away) saying we needed to hurry left me praying even harder. My prayers were more than answered. Not only did we get to go straight to his room when we arrived, but the girls got to come too. Honeygirl was her typical shy self at first, unsure of Grandpa with his various cords and IV’s. She did go right to GiGi and ask to sit on her lap though. There was her compassionate, sweet heart again – a snuggle was just what GiGI needed from her great-granddaughter. After spending a good 10 minutes in his room at least, we headed out to go to the waiting room where everyone else was. By this point, I think the tear stained faces had impacted Honeygirl. The minute we walked out of the room, she started sobbing in her daddy’s arms, “I want Grandpa Sherbie, I want Grandpa Sherbie.” My poor mama heart couldn’t handle it. It’s so hard to explain death to a not-quite-three-year-old. My poor baby just knows that something is not right: Grandpa Sherbie is in the hospital, everyone is crying, and he can’t really talk (oxygen mask over his face and sleeping a lot of the time). I held her and cried with her in the waiting room. After awhile, we pulled ourselves together and went back to see him again at her request. He woke up and told us he loves us, and Honeygirl sat on his bed and hugged him. A precious memory I hope I don’t forget. After some more snuggles with GiGi, I whispered, “I love you Grandpa” in his ear and we left.




I’m told that after the girls and I went back to GiGI’s house for rest time, there was an amazing time of prayer and hymn singing that lasted about an hour in Grandpa’s room. About 20 of his children and grandchildren surrounding him. What an amazing sendoff. I’m so thankful that the nurses were lenient and let him be surrounded by so many of us who love him so much. As I write this, it’s late and we are driving home. Before finally falling asleep, Honeygirl asked three different times if we could pray for Grandpa Sherbie. Her sweet little prayer was that Grandpa Sherbie would not feel sick anymore and that he would get out of his bed. Grandpa is still hanging on, but we know it won’t be long. Soon Grandpa will be Home. Goodbye for now, Grandpa.

PostNote:  Grandpa Sherbie did indeed go Home shortly after our visit.  And Honeygirl's third birthday was spent at Gigi's house, eating cupcakes with family after a beautiful memorial service celebrating Grandpa Sherbie's well-spent life.

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