We are stardust / We are golden / We are billion year old carbon.
My grandfather died today. He was seventy-nine years old. I got the phone call at 6:42 A.M. and rushed over to my grandfather's house. I felt relief when I saw him peacefully laying in his bed because these past few days--and especially on Sunday--he looked so agonized. When I last saw him on Sunday, he wasn't lucid and would only respond to you sporadically and nonsensically. He wasn't eating. He was barely talking. He mostly moaned in pain and gasped for air. It was heartbreaking to see him like that. All I could do was stroke his hair, hold his hand, and try to comfort him by talking to him. I can't even imagine how painful his last days were, but I am so glad that his struggle is over.
The worst part today was seeing him be wheeled out of the house in a gurney. I couldn't hold it back anymore when I saw that. Heartwrenching.
Goodbye, grandpa.