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“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” – 2nd Corinthians 4: 16-18
Two weeks ago I got a tough text message (yes- a text) that said that my grandpa had gone into the ICU due to pneumonia. Quickly he was sedated and put on a ventilator to allow him to try to fight the pneumonia (he’s had Parkinson’s for the last few years, so his health hasn’t been good in a few years. It was a tough week, as every time a text came through or my phone rang, I was wondering if it was the call to tell me he had died. They took him off the ventilator last Sunday night at 4:50 pm, and he lived until Monday night at 5:00 pm, when he passed away. I’m no stranger to grandparent’s dying, as I’ve lost my other grandpa and my grandma.
I got the call right after I had hopped on my bike trainer for a short afternoon ride. The ride was fueld purely by emotion, but overall the ride was good. Last week was tough, for multiple reasons, and it’s still tough today.
I wasn’t able to go to the funeral (again, for multiple reasons), and this was really hard as well. I had mentioned on Tuesday to my mom that maybe my brothers and I could be face timed or skyped into the funeral so that we could be “present” and say goodbye to my grandpa as well.
So today, I want to say “thank you” to the kind stranger who held my dad’s phone for an hour so that I could be facetimed into my grandpa’s funeral. I’m sure it wasn’t easy at all to hold a phone steady for an hour, but she was willing to do it, and gave me a priceless gift. She gave me the gift of being present, of being able to celebrate my grandpa’s life. The kindness of a stranger means so so much to me.
It was far more clear than this, but you get the idea of what it looked like.
I’m sad for me and sad for my family. I’ll miss my grandpa. But I’m happy for him to be out of this body, that he is heaven where pain and suffering no longer exist. And I’m thankful that I could be present, even at a distance.
Now it’s your turn to share! Who would you like to say “thank you” to today? Have you either done or received an act of kindness lately?
I am happy to read it. Have a beautiful day 🙂
It’s so hard when grandparents pass away. The grandparent/grandchild relationship is so unique and special. I have one grandmother left, my other grandmother and two grandfathers have already passed. My grandma is such a special lady – just thinking of her always makes me smile. It will be very hard for me when she passes. I’m very sorry for your loss.
What a kind gesture of the person to hold the phone so you could be “present”. I love stories about little random acts of kindness – they give me faith in the human race.
I’m glad you are able to have such a great relationship with your grandma- what a treasure 🙂 Yes- actions like that remind us that there still is good too!
I am so sorry for your loss! I teared up reading this, especially about the face-timing stranger! I love stories that are a great reminder there is still good in the world.
Thanks for your condolences. I love reading stories like this too, and it was even better to be on the receiving end of such selfless giving 🙂