My wonderfully kind grandfather (Pa) passed away in July 2004. His death was not unexpected. He had had a long battle with dementia and other health problems resulting from the loss of memory. I chose not to see him much in the last few years of his life because the disease had somewhat changed his personality and I truly wanted to preserve my memories of him when I was a child. I have always struggled with this choice but all of my memories are good ones so I believe it was the right thing for me.
Though his death was somewhat expected, it was still very difficult because it was the first death of someone close to me that I had experienced. If you know me, you know I don't cry easily. Upon the news of Pa's death I was deeply saddened and cried a little...mostly for the pain I felt for my Mom and some for my personal loss.
As with all funerals and family deaths things get stressful and planning and schedules take over. On the evening of visitation, Andy and I were to pick Kyle up from daycare and bring him with us to McEwen. At this point, I still had not really stopped to grieve or reflect, but was just trying to do what I could to help and stay out of the way. While traveling to the visitation on a very nice summer evening, Andy and I were silent and Kyle was asleep. I was, at that moment, remembering the many wonderful summer evenings at my Grandparents. And while looking out the window I saw a man, stopped on the side of the rode looking directly at me and sitting on a tractor, and as we got closer I saw that it was Pa. We drove right past and I did not say a word but huge tears started streaming down my face. Andy within seconds asked, "Did you see that?" He then looked at my face and without another word we both knew that we had just witnessed one of God's most mysterious blessings.
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