My Grandfather is a man who at his 90th birthday party looked around the room at his 6 Kids, 16 Grandkids, and ton of Great Grandkids and said to me
"Wow, can you believe this all started with your Grandmother and Me. It's amazing how we have defied the odds. Our family is full of intelligent, good looking, successful people. It's amazing that our family is so successful."
I told him then and have since reminded him many times that our success started with his hard work, ethics, morals, and that good genetics clearly helped too.
Him and my Grandmother both started with nothing in life. They came from poor families, but they both had a strong work ethic, common sense, and moral compass that directed them to not only personal success in life but also to leave a family behind who has followed in their footsteps. We are business owners or successful employees, family people with long standing marriages, charitable people who help others, and highly driven family even down 3 generations later.
This started with 2 people, but as they move Grandpa into hospice and his 94 year story is coming to an end his legacy is continuing on with the family he raised.
Have so much more to say...but just can't yet as I'm trying accept the reality of what is happening.
I'm sorry to hear about that. Moving to an hospice is not a good way to finish uor journey on this Earth... Hopefully his spirit will remain lucid when he leaves his body. 🤔
He is non responsive at this point and the use of hospice is more to make sure there are no extreme measures taken to keep him alive. Hospitals all to often like to put people in his condition on machines extending life for the sake of racking up massive charges to the insurance company. He never wanted to be kept alive on a machine and none of us would want to see that happen either. Hope that he goes quickly and as painlessly as possible.
It sounds like a good life, as well as a long life. Be strong mate.
He made it a good life. Something he reminded us all of. Life is what you make of it. You are owed nothing so if you want something work for it and make it happen.
You know that I agree with this :) It is a good lesson to hold close.
One can only hope to have such a legacy.
Thanks for sharing and good luck with the next phase!
The next few days are going to be hard. This will be the 3rd Great Grandparent my kids have had to deal with loosing in the last 9 months. Was a blessing they got to experience having them, but so hard for them having to deal with a string of death like this.
Yeah I remember I was 16 when I first had to deal with death. It took a bit to get over it. Prayers for those little ones.
He let everyone know at his 90th party, how proud he was of everyone it seems. He has left a lasting legacy in his family and friends. I know you will miss him, it will take time, and it is not easy watching the slide to end of life. At least you have been with him as much as able.
He has always made a point to let us know how proud of us he was. If you messed up, he wouldn't pull any punches and told you so in private. But he praised in public and was never afraid to let the world know how proud he was of his family.
Very nice post honoring your grandfather @thedarkhorse ...
... and, hopefully, he is still of sound enough mind to recognize that.
My wife works with these people and a sad reality which she shares with me regularly is both that people reaching this stage of their life are no longer of sound mind and, worse, there is no one around who expresses any concern about it.
God bless you and your family, as your grandfather lives out the final chapter of his life.