My Birthday- A Celebration of Life

Monday was my birthday! As all birthdays in our home, it started with breakfast in bed. Bri made waffles with strawberries and whip cream for everyone. My gifts for the day...a surprise pedi and mani, a pizza lunch, and a nice dinner at home with the kids were kicked to the neighbor's house for a few hours. Heaven. I went to run on the treadmill in the basement and at 8:15AM, our world shifted...
Brian's grandpa has been sick for months, progressing faster each day. We knew his days or weeks were numbered and had planned to make a trip to visit with the kids on Tuesday. Brian's mom, aunt, and grandparents called to wish me a happy birthday. Grandpa even sang "Happy Birthday, Katie". Who would have ever known those would be his last words.

He decided to go on Hospice care ( removal of all medications and given only morphine to be comfortable). They were removing all meds immediately and he wanted all his family near.

We dropped everything, literally throwing crap everywhere as we shoved clothes into suitcased, counted diapers and formula for a two day trip and tried to think of toys that would be hospital appropriate.

By the time we got up to the Quad Cities just a few hours later, he was asleep, unresponsive, and unable to communicate.

We spend the next 7 hours with him...draped in plastic robes, gloves, and for some gloves as he contracted Merca ( rapid infection) while in the nursing home and we all needed to be protected. It was a vigil.

Brian appologized to me a hundred times on Monday that he was sad this happened on my birthday. I wasn't. We had no control of this plan, God's plan. It truly was an amazing day. Birthdays are meant to be a day each year to celebrate life. That's what we did- it just wasn't mine.

Grandpa never had less than 5 people in his room. We came and went all day- kids included. We sat around him, told stories, whispered in his ear, laughed about him and our own lives.

Touched him and had personal reflections on his incredible life.

Listened to nurses and professionals explain Hospice and why he might be progressing so fast.

We had time for fun too. We all took breaks in the gazebo and courtyard right outside his room. Alaric and Amara both didn't allow the mood to be somber for too long. Their smiles and sweet laughs reminded us we had to focus on the good times.

And at 9:10PM, only 12 hours after he decided to go to Hospice Care, he took his last breath...with his precious wife by his side along with three of his daughters, a son in law, and a brother and sister-in-law. He died peacefully with no pain, surrounded by those he loved and who loved him- hopefully knowing how truly blessed we all were to have him in our lives.

So- am I sad it happened on my birthday. At first maybe. But after three days of reflection with the most incredibly loving and supportive family- there is no way I could be sad now. I am honored. My birthday will now always be shared with a man we all love dearly. We will take this day each year to celebrate his life and our love for him!

We miss you, grandpa!