It's a tough time...the passing of parents. My sympathy.

Thanks guys.
I have been awfully fortunate to have gotten to my 56th year without losing a parent.
As many of you had said before, it is my turn to go through this.
Funny how so many memories pop up unbidden during times like this.
Almost all of them good.
Running away from work. Going to jump on my mountain bike and go for a quick spin then have a cocktail or two.
Thanks again,
Bill
PS, How in the flying fox did I get to be 56? Wow, time really does fly.

Thanks for sharing Bill.
As I have lost both of my parents, I feel your pain.
You should be with him. It would suck to die alone.

I find the hardest part is when I still want to reach for the phone to call dad and ask a simple question about something he would know the answer off of the top of his head.

Dan said it well.

I lost my father to Alzheimers about 3 years back. He was 71 and the decline had spanned a decade. It's a nasty, cruel disease, but I was glad to have been able to support him (and my mom, who needed it more) to the end. For the caretakers, it was a sad, but welcome goodbye - - the man we knew had passed many years earlier.

And he'll be remembered for the good father, husband, and man that he was. He lives in me, my siblings, and our children.

I wish you and your family peace in this difficult time.

I too lost my father a couple years ago to Dementia/Alzheimer's. For him the slope was gradual enough for him to realize there was a problem. That was incredibly frustrating for him and the entire family. About 5 days before he passed the slope went vertical and he left us very quickly. My condolences, just know we all have been there or will be.

"He lives in you" - excellent sentiment!

Bill.
These times are hard for everyone in your family. Thank you for sharing. Seems like a good man.
Keep those memories and pass them to your kids so they pass them over to theirs..
Happy birthday, don't forget to celebrate. Lets not forget you live your life and only yours..

Hey Bill, I am so sorry to hear about your father.

I lost my dad about a year and a half ago. Miss him daily and I often go to the cemetery and just sit there for 30 min. Like many from that generation, they are extremely hard working and just do not quit to provide for their families. I grew up on his lap in front of the jewelry making bench, when I was old enough to see. That was all I was exposed to and eventually worked for him in high school and first couple years of college. He made me a perfectionist and l watch and learn how he dealt with his customers. Like most kids at that age, I wanted to hang out with my friends and did not want to be there. He had COPD and was living in this little hospital that treat people with respiratory issues for a little over a year. I drove 45 min to an hour daily to see him, bring food he likes, and hang out with him for a few hours to keep him from going nuts or get abuse by those fooking nurses or other staff members. I was able to tell him how I really enjoyed the time we spend working at the shop and the many things we did as a family. That smile was worth a million bucks and I knew he enjoyed it as well.

Just remember those good times. Go hang out with him, everything else is jsut another day with your nose at the grinding stone. Hang in there bud.

Jeff

Bill, I know exactly what you are going through as I am a similar boat with my Dad. He has had dementia for a few years, he is almost blind and close to deaf. He was a real man’s man that always worked incredibly hard. Worked a full time job and went to night school to get his CPA, He built our cabin in Windermere and I helped, every summer and weekends for years.

I struggle to go see him as each time he is more frail and I leave very sad. Like you say it’s hard to see such a man wither away. He always knows me but seldom knows my family or even my brother.

I take solace that he raised a great family, taught me a lot and made me the man I am today. He still asks where my mom is (she passed in 2009) and have taken to lying as it broke my heart to see his reaction when I told him she passed.

Even though it’s tough, I force myself to go, talk about old times, and remember the fun we had. I just hope his passing is peaceful and in his sleep.

Good lunch and God Speec.

Very hard to read through this thread...

Condolences to all who gone through this....I'm gonna have to use this group too...:(

Be well Bill....

An update.
The tough old guy is still hanging in there.
I had called my mom and she had told me he had his eyes open for the first time since Sunday.
Fluid in the lungs and some other things going on.
Just a matter of time.
Thanks again for your support and for sharing your stories.
It really does help!

I still have that happen with both my Mom and Dad. Dad has been gone for two years, Mom, eleven.

It happens less and less and for me; has been replaced more and more with some of the best dreams ever. The bonus is all of the dogs we all knew in our lives show up! Funny how it is all about the peace.

You will go through it like the rest of us, and it is really interesting how none of us are exempt from the experience. Miss the hell out of them!

Bill, you probably don't need to hear this but just remember to tell him anything you feel you need to say. My ex passed away in December and my adult kids were hurting, but they were able to let her know that their love and respect for her would not die with her. Somehow that helped.

I can't add any More To what's been said. Best to you and yours. Prayers.

Thanks for your update, Bill.

Nice to see so many post their support for you & your family.

Wishing you peace, brother....

Bill,

As many have written here, thanks for the post. It brought back memories of my own mom and dad. It is never easy and I feel for you. My mom and dad got ill about the same time and I thought both were racing each other to the grave. My wife was pregnant at the time and honestly I didn't know who to take care of first. My dad didn't last long and I had great closure with him. He was very stoic and I finally got to understand him. My mom lingered - she had Alzheimers that lasted for 4 years. I lost her twice: once when she ceased to remember me and when the day she finally passed on. That was difficult for me. She has been dead for 20 years and I remember her struggle like it was yesterday.

It takes courage to tell your story - thanks for sharing.

I watched my Dad slowly die over five years from dementia. Very sad, hope I just have a massive heart attack instead of that. Sounds like you have a lot of great memories.

This thread resonated with me, not sure why since my parents left the planet sentient.

Then, the gifts that a Father and Mother bestow: the lessons and the learning, the examples of their patience and insistence, children well raised.

Then, the desire for us to write about them.

I find greatness in parenting, as so many here do as well. The OP wrote about the essence of it, the core.

Celebrate that, the only thing that really matters, the one gift we can share.

A good man who led a good life..cherish the memories of him and tell the stories about him to your children and grandchild to carry on his legacy.

He had a good long life..that didn't miss out on much..and as such not much more could be expected. It is his time to rest and I couldn't be too sorry for that. But the hole in your life will be immense. You will miss him.