I know I've mentioned my grandparents a time or two...
I love them so much.
Especially my grandpa.
I recently learned that my grandpa was a SPY in the Navy - before the CIA existed.
He was a photographer and topographer. He helped piece together pictures and maps from after WWII. He was awarded medals by the government for his work. A SPY!
This is Harry {and me, of course!} - he was showing off his new smile!
On January 1, my grandpa was admitted to the Hospice of Arizona.
Where the entire family stayed for 3 days, around the clock. This post isn't about me, but I do want to mention my oldest, Alex. After his initial visit with grandpa, he stayed home while Marcos worked and while I was with the rest of the family, the entire 3 days, watching Nic and holding down the fort. I love that kid.
My grandma was told that grandpa was going to Hospice to be re-hydrated and to clear his congestion. However, they never put an IV in. They knew what my grandma didn't want to accept. Wasn't ready to accept.
The family did what we do best. We ordered in food, we laughed, we remembered, we grew closer. There was so much love in room 105 those first few days of January.
We prayed. Often and hard.
Not for him to heal completely, but to go find Jesus... to be with the rest of his family up in heaven.
Grandpa was on heavy doses of morphine... he had an aneurysm and bone cancer. The first day and half of the second, he could still communicate with us. It was beautiful. The latter half of day 2 and the third day, we were told he could hear us, but we knew he couldn't respond.
We were so afraid that we were keeping him from moving on to a more beautiful place, with our talking and laughter. We reached out to his doctor. His doctor suggested we go out to dinner. Let grandpa be for a bit. My grandma hadn't left his side...
We insisted she join us. She spoke softly to him, telling him that she would be back, but if he needed to go before she got back, it was okay.
We went to Fuddruckers (a sit-down hamburger joint and a family favorite)... and set a place for grandpa.
After about an hour, we decided to head back to him.
I was scared that he'd be alive still.
I was scared that he'd passed.
Grandpa was very much still breathing when we all got back to his room. We decided to do the rosary and the Lord's Prayer. There was a taped version that we followed along with - it was beautiful.
The nurses came in afterwards to work on grandpa a little; he was so congested.
A few people left the room. My aunt, my grandma and I stayed by his side. We noted the discoloration (molding) that was taking place in various spots on his body. We knew it wouldn't be long, probably in the middle of the night.
My grandma decided she wanted to take off grandpa's chain and cross -so she could wear it.
She was fiddling with it when I noticed that there was a long pause in grandpa's breathing.
I tried to get her attention - she told me just wanted his necklace.
I said, "No, grandma. Look!"
He took another breath.
The pulses in his neck had slowed. I would know, as I watched them often during those three days.
We turned to my uncle and told him to go get everyone. This was it.
My grandma started to try and wake him; to shake him.
I looked into her beautiful blue eyes and said, "Let him go. This is what you wanted. You are ready. Let him go, grandma."
Through her tears, she gave her blessing.
We all surrounded his bed, held hands and said the Lord's Prayer.
He took his last breath, with all of us cheering him on.
"Go grandpa! Go to Heaven!"
"You can do it!"
It was the most beautiful thing I ever witnessed.
My grandfather, a US Naval Veteran - among other things, passed away on January 3, 2012 at 10:10 pm.
We got to sit with him for a long while after the fact. My grandpa decided to donate his body to science. Hopefully they find the final, immediate cure for bone cancer with the help of my grandpa's selfless gift.
They will cremate him and give his ashes to my grandma.
Everyone left Hospice at midnight, but my cousins and I stayed behind to wait for Research for Life to come get him. They arrived at 2:30am.
I know this should be such a sad time for us; even though we break down every once in a while, for the most part, we are at peace. And grateful to Hospice for taking care of not only grandpa, but also all of us.
We are in full planning mode for his memorial service, tentatively planned for Friday, the 13th.
He would have gotten a kick out of that.
When I got home, the next morning, I had Alex in my bed and I told him everything.
Nic walked in and asked what we were talking about. Mind you, Marcos had already let the kids know the night before.
I told Nic that grandpa finally made it to Heaven.
That he was with Jesus.
To which Nic replied..."Do you mean Chuckie-Cheeses?"
Grandpa would have loved that, too.
Harry Joseph Barnes, Jr.
7/19/1930 - 1/3/2012
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