death in the family
my grandpa died yesterday at 10:38 am.
i knew he could go at any moment but... i was still surprised. was asleep when it happened. my dad called me in tears. my dad crying is something i don't hear very often.
i said goodnight to Grandpa the night before, around 2 am. i kissed him on the forehead, but i didn't get to say goodbye to him the way i wanted to when he was alive. i guess none of us did. the way i was told, all of a sudden, his eyes started to flicker and his breathing shortened. and in less than a minute, he was gone. i thank God that he was not alone. he had my mom and my auntie at his side, and he was able to die in his home, surrounded by his loved ones.
my whole family was in tears, and soon i was too. it didn't feel real. but i didn't feel cheated either. it felt right. he was so tired... in the end of his life, he was gaunt. it took ninety-nine years for the Lord to take him home.
after we had a chance to mourn and weep, we began the calls. the hospice. the social workers. the mortuary. my family worked together to make the arrangements. i'm proud of how strong my family is in these sad times.
i made some calls myself. yesterday, it seemed that i might be able to postpone my flight to japan so that I could stay for the funeral. today, i heard back from AEON and the news made me a bit less optimistic. i actually think they're being kind of unfair. they'd rather i postpone my trip for one month to make the next training period rather than miss my first day of training, . if i have to buy a whole new plane ticket at 1000 dollars, that's not even a real option... but God willing, I'll be able to work it out.
soon after Grandpa died, after embracing my family to give and receive solace, i called barb. seeing my mom hug my dad, and my auntie and uncle together... she was the first person i thought of telling. i left her a voice mail, my voice shaking and in whispers. i didn't know if she'd call back or not. it meant alot to me that she did later in the night.
my family prayed the rosary at an altar with my grandpa's picture on it. that felt very japanese to me. it was the beginning of the novena.
the viewing will be held on thursday and friday. the funeral will be on saturday. it's a strange way to be leaving, but i'm happy i had a chance to say goodbye to Grandpa. and I'm happy that he's finally at peace with Grandma.
i knew he could go at any moment but... i was still surprised. was asleep when it happened. my dad called me in tears. my dad crying is something i don't hear very often.
i said goodnight to Grandpa the night before, around 2 am. i kissed him on the forehead, but i didn't get to say goodbye to him the way i wanted to when he was alive. i guess none of us did. the way i was told, all of a sudden, his eyes started to flicker and his breathing shortened. and in less than a minute, he was gone. i thank God that he was not alone. he had my mom and my auntie at his side, and he was able to die in his home, surrounded by his loved ones.
my whole family was in tears, and soon i was too. it didn't feel real. but i didn't feel cheated either. it felt right. he was so tired... in the end of his life, he was gaunt. it took ninety-nine years for the Lord to take him home.
after we had a chance to mourn and weep, we began the calls. the hospice. the social workers. the mortuary. my family worked together to make the arrangements. i'm proud of how strong my family is in these sad times.
i made some calls myself. yesterday, it seemed that i might be able to postpone my flight to japan so that I could stay for the funeral. today, i heard back from AEON and the news made me a bit less optimistic. i actually think they're being kind of unfair. they'd rather i postpone my trip for one month to make the next training period rather than miss my first day of training, . if i have to buy a whole new plane ticket at 1000 dollars, that's not even a real option... but God willing, I'll be able to work it out.
soon after Grandpa died, after embracing my family to give and receive solace, i called barb. seeing my mom hug my dad, and my auntie and uncle together... she was the first person i thought of telling. i left her a voice mail, my voice shaking and in whispers. i didn't know if she'd call back or not. it meant alot to me that she did later in the night.
my family prayed the rosary at an altar with my grandpa's picture on it. that felt very japanese to me. it was the beginning of the novena.
the viewing will be held on thursday and friday. the funeral will be on saturday. it's a strange way to be leaving, but i'm happy i had a chance to say goodbye to Grandpa. and I'm happy that he's finally at peace with Grandma.