A Stroke and Heaven

It's been a l-o-o-ng day...

My Aunt, my dad's sister, suffered a stroke on Monday and was taken to the hospital where she was still alert, oriented and able to speak.

Tuesday morning she slipped into a coma and had to be put on a ventilator. Later that same day her seven daughters and husband made the decision to take her off the vent, and this was done sometime Tuesday.

My dad and K flew in from Florida Wednesday morning and went straight to the hospital.

When I arrived at the funeral home today my cousin C, one of the seven daughters, shared the following with me:

My dad was talking to his sister, telling her he loved her and that it was okay to let go...she shed a tear at his words, something she had not done, C said, as if she were waiting for him to say goodbye — not long after that she passed away.

My dad lost a sister in a dentist chair when she was 8-years old. (She had an undiagnosed heart condition.) His brother passed away in 1983, his father in 1985, and his mother in 2002. My heart aches for him...my heart aches for her husband, her daughters and grandchildren...my heart just aches...