Canada
Dad died on a Sunday.
I stood there in his room, looking throught the windows at an overcast sky remembering just hours ago we were joking around about Monty Python.
"We're the Knights who say Ni!" struggled from his dry mouth as he cracked a wry smile and forced a laugh that turned into a cough.
Why me? Why US?
Dad was born in 1953, the youngest of 4 brothers. He grew up with hand me downs and being overlooked by his two older brothers who were lawyers, tops in their classes, class Presidents year after year. After getting married, Dad was fortunate enough to have 4 kids, including yours truly. A series of horrible layoffs due to government cutdowns and a move to another city finally created anough stress in the man that his heart wouldn't take it. He developed ulcers trying to do the best for his kids. He then found a good paying job with great benefits that umbrella'd everyone he cared about.
The timing was then perfect for a divorce, one which financially ruined the small nestegg he had saved and had him watching over 4 kids.
Dad went in for routine testing on his heart and kidneys on Saturday, joked with the family about going on a family trip when he got out "Just like we used to."
He died peacefully in his sleep, Sunday Feb 22 2009.
He was 55 years old.
Standing by his bedside were his kids and their families, his brother and his father. Just what he would have wanted.
R35
I stood there in his room, looking throught the windows at an overcast sky remembering just hours ago we were joking around about Monty Python.
"We're the Knights who say Ni!" struggled from his dry mouth as he cracked a wry smile and forced a laugh that turned into a cough.
Why me? Why US?
Dad was born in 1953, the youngest of 4 brothers. He grew up with hand me downs and being overlooked by his two older brothers who were lawyers, tops in their classes, class Presidents year after year. After getting married, Dad was fortunate enough to have 4 kids, including yours truly. A series of horrible layoffs due to government cutdowns and a move to another city finally created anough stress in the man that his heart wouldn't take it. He developed ulcers trying to do the best for his kids. He then found a good paying job with great benefits that umbrella'd everyone he cared about.
The timing was then perfect for a divorce, one which financially ruined the small nestegg he had saved and had him watching over 4 kids.
Dad went in for routine testing on his heart and kidneys on Saturday, joked with the family about going on a family trip when he got out "Just like we used to."
He died peacefully in his sleep, Sunday Feb 22 2009.
He was 55 years old.
Standing by his bedside were his kids and their families, his brother and his father. Just what he would have wanted.
R35
