Dad was finally freed of PSP on 11/17/2019 @ 10:45pm. I want to share the eulogy my sister wrote for his funeral. She titled it Thank You God:
Thank you all for being here. A lot has happened over the past several years, and we just want to share a little bit.
When Dad first started showing physical signs that something was wrong, we thought it was normal aging. Or that it was just the arthritis getting worse. But, things progressed beyond that of normal aging and arthritis. We knew something more was going on. After numerous tests and trips to different doctors, the diagnosis came, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. Now that we had a diagnosis, we did research, and it wasn’t good.
The progression of debility continued slowly and relentlessly. We watched it happen day by day, little by little, as it took all that Dad loved to do away, it wasn’t good. Dad was a person who worked hard every day. A person who spent his days outdoors from sun up to sun down. We spent many hours working together, but it was rare to spend time together for more than a couple hours to just visit and relax. That just wasn’t Dad’s way. Busyness, not idleness, WAS Dad’s way.
But the Lord works in mysterious ways, And there was good…
As Dad became less mobile, and caring for himself became difficult, Mom managed his care. While it was hard, it was together time. - THANK YOU, GOD, FOR THAT TIME!
As time passed and things became even harder, us kids got more involved with helping care for Dad. While it wasn’t the ideal together time, it WAS still time spent together that brought lots of laughter about some of those… well..uhhh…..”personal care” situations! - THANK YOU, GOD, FOR THAT TIME!
Activities that lack of time did not allow for before, we now did. We had time to sit and enjoy playing cards and quarters, watching movies, looking through pictures, and reading the paper - THANK YOU, GOD, FOR THAT TIME!
We were able to help with farming tasks. Dad gained trust that others could do what he used to do. So, reluctantly, he let go and accepted the help of others to manage those tasks when he no longer could.- THANK YOU, GOD, FOR THAT TIME!
We were finally able to “go out to eat together” by bringing home favorite foods like McDonald’s burgers and milk shakes, or pizza.- THANK YOU, GOD, FOR THAT TIME!
We went on short drives together around the farm to just sit and watch the chores being done. Favorites were watching Craig and Norman as they baled hay in the fields, and seeing the cattle being worked in the barn lot, and supervising wood being split. There were longer drives, too, for going to appointments, or to each others homes, for special events. Time to see the countryside . . . Oh,.....and….by the way, Dad, thanks for all those back seat driving tips! - THANK YOU, GOD, FOR THAT TIME!
When growing up, children often have a distorted view of how tough they have things. So while in Dad’s presence, fun bantering and laughter was shared to the point of tears when we would jokingly recall those tough times with our now adult views on them. - THANK YOU, GOD, FOR THAT TIME!
Time, it is one of our most precious gifts. Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.
Tears From Heaven
I miss caring for my dad
Heaven gained an angel today
Heaven has another angel
Need Help on the options to comfort my dad
