And He's Gone

My paternal grandfather passed away early this Thursday morning. After making it through a broken back, throat cancer and two heart attacks, he finally succumbed to lung cancer. He was 75 years old and has 5 children and 11 grand children. We're all going to miss him very, very much.

I feel for my grandmother. They'd been married 51 years. I can't imagine how it must feel for her, to now be forever separated from the one person she loves most, and who she has been with since the age of 15. That chasm of pain frightens me.

I feel like I'm in a haze after the last 48 hours of hospital bedside watching and crying and consoling and family and food and more crying. I've been going from overloading on emotions, to feeling almost numb. But it feels good to be alone now, away from all the guilty smiles and tear rimmed eyes.

 1935 - 2011

He went peacefully, with a gentle last exhale of life, surrounded by those who loved him. For this I am thankful. The above photo is of he and I before he broke his back or ever got sick, and this is how I want to remember him.

Cel