In memory of my daddy

It has been 1 year today since my daddy passed away after a 5 year battle with bladder cancer.

I remember getting up that morning to head to the hospital and for some reason just knew I needed to get there, I didn't even shower just got dressed and took off. On the way I got a phone call and it was a friend of the family who had spent the night at the hospital and she said Debbie you need to get here, Yall are going to need to make a decision about putting your dad on life support. I cried all the way to the hospital. I called my son and my husband.

When I got there my mom and the doctor were standing in the doorway. The decision had to be made now was what his doctor said. My sister and brother were on the way and there was no time to wait. My dad had already fallen into a deep sleep and the doctor told me he would never wake up.

Knowing my dad was a christian man and was on the verge of meeting God I knew he would not want to be put on life support to just hang in limbo. So I looked at my mom and told her we should let him go, he didn't need to suffer any more.

They let us come in the room then and my dad was laying there with an oxygen mask on and struggling to take each breath. They told us to talk to him that he would be able to hear us.

That was the hardest thing I have ever done. I remember looking at the nurse and asking her " is my dad dying" and she said yes.

We were all around his bed when he passed, my mom, me my husband, my sister and her husband and daughter and my brother and his wife and friends right outside the room.

My daddy held on till my brother got there and when he said "daddy I'm here" my dad took 2 more breaths and was gone.

I knew he was meeting God. My dad had alway's said that when he died the first thing he was going to do was to kiss Jesus's feet.

And it was amazing the peace that was in that room at that moment and the strength that you can have even at the hardest moment of your life.

We all miss him every day.