End of Life

Good morning. Just a quick note to share some thoughts! First of all, my dad has suffered (for several years) with pulmonary fibrosis. It's a lot like emphysema! The original diagnosis, by a very cold and unfeeling doctor, was 2 years left of life and absolutely nothing could be done!

He and my mom found an alternative medicine doctor who is also a licensed medical doctor who has done a myriad of things to help him in this journey! He has recently began treatments with an acupuncturist with the hopes that the build-up of phlegm in his lungs will be diluted and discharged--making breathing easier.

He's always been such an active, independent man and now he's relegated (just in the past few months) to hobbling to the bathroom, or to the front door to let the dog in or out, and that's about it! He's on oxygen all the time and appears to be declining at an extremely rapid rate. He told me last night that he doesn't want to sit around feeling sorry for himself and has prayed that the Lord would help him think more of others!

I DON'T want to think that he's approaching the end of life--here on earth! I don't want to give up that parent/child relationship. Yes, I'm an adult and have raised a whole passel of kids myself. But, my dad is MY DAD! And yet, I know that there is a far, better place waiting for him. The Lord Himself is there and what could be better than that?

I'm just one tiny human being in this amazingly long chain of humanity that is facing the death of a parent. Millions have been before me and millions more will be after me, so why do I think that my suffering is any more important than anyone elses? It's not, but it's still very personal and I'm very thankful that I have the comfort of the Lord and the comfort of family and friends, as well!

I titled this blog, "End of Life", but it's not really....it's just stepping over into eternity! I end this posting on a note of thankfulness! Thankful that I've had my dad for 83 years, thankful that he became a Christian and left a life of encroaching alcoholism behind, thankful that he has been faithful to follow in the ways of the Lord all these years! That's the legacy that I want to leave behind, too! Faithful....