Saturday, October 4, 2008

Still Out, But Coming Up for Air

I rarely post anything about my personal life on this blog because its primary purpose is to explain the role of a PIO.

Allow me to make an exception.

My father, Dave Easley, passed away yesterday. He joined my mom, Alice, in Heaven and had a huge grin on his face at the very moment he left. I know they were reaching out to each other. It was a truly holy moment.

After my mom died suddenly and unexpectedly in January 2007, my dad never recovered. They had been married 60 years.

I have been coming down to San Diego just about every weekend to try to build my dad up, take him on excursions and try to keep him engaged in life.

But nobody could help him. Not his family, not his friends, not his church, not his doctors. Many, many times he said he just wanted to go be with my mom, and now they are reunited.

I am grateful for the love and support and kindness that so many have expressed to me this past week while my dad went from emergency room to ICU to Hospice. The rapid turn of events has been monumentally overwhelming.

I'll post more in the next few days. For now my sister and two brothers and I will be consumed with all the necessary details and process that must be dealt with at a time such as this.

Once again, please bear with me.

7 comments:

ben wideman said...

So sad to hear about your loss. But if I die, I hope it's with a smile on my face. A great image. You are in the thoughts and prayers of the blogging community.

Cafe Observer said...

Ann, I ditto the thoughts of ben.

When a spouse loses their loving partner it can be very difficult, if not impossible, to ever recover and go on with life.

It seems to me it's easier for women to go on after losing their husbands than if the husband is the surviving spouse.

I know what it is to lose a parent. It's not easy leading up to the death and may be even more difficult after the loved one has passed.

Unfortunately, dealing with the death of loved ones is a part of life we all have to deal with at various times. But, having the loving support of family, friends, & God picks us up to use the experience to go on & bless others we come in contact with.

It also doesn't hurt to have a loving pet, like a dog, to keep up our spirits.

Our best wishes from here in Pasadena & God's blessings to you & your family.

Patrizzi Intergarlictica said...

What a darling, your dad. True love is strong, and infinite.

Anonymous said...

My thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. What will sustain you is the fact that the two of them are together forever now.

Monica said...

Ann, I am so sorry to learn of your loss. I will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.

Todd said...

I know everything you did to make the last year better for your pops. And so does he.

Petrea Burchard said...

Ann, my head has been in the sand. I'm sorry to discover this post so late, sorrier to know what you've been going through. Having been through my own version of it I know how sad, heavy, tired and even relieved you might feel.

You did everything you could do to be a good daughter. Remember that.