The Room was Finally Ready

A few days ago, my dad told my mom and sister “I think the Lord is getting a room ready for me … but it’s not quite ready yet.”  Well, just before 1 p.m. today, it seems that the room was finally ready, as he calmly passed away.

It had been a long and hard journey over the years.  He had a major stroke almost 30 years ago, when I was an 8th-grader.  It was a surprise that he not only survived, but that he was able to learn to walk again and regained most of his vocabulary.  His sense of humor certainly returned.  He always loved it when the family got together — he never wanted to miss a party.

And since that point, several times he edged near death, but then returned in a flurish.  Heart bypass surgery, aeortal replacement surgery, and a major staff infection had the family gathering multiple times to mourn his loss … only to fall victim to his amazing ability to survive and recover.

However, his alzheimers continued to progress the past few years and he had another stroke-like event this past Easter.  He never returned home.  The Marywood Center was a wonderful place for him to be — I would recommend it to anyone needing nursing home and/or hospice care in the Wausau area.

From what I’m told, I’m happy that I never had to sit across the table from my dad during a negotiation session in his prime.  He was clever, a true wordsmith, tenacious and stubborn — those last 2 terms probably giving a clue as to his ability to survive all the tramatic health issues over the years.  What I knew was that dad was a caring father who worked hard to provide us kids with the best opportunities possible.

But now he’s resting, and no longer burdened with the health problems.  I’m curious what his new room looks like.