The Last Walk With The Family

On May 1st my dad started down an unknown path. My family and I went with him. This was a journey that none of us wanted to take, but there were no options. The journey ended Friday morning when my father passed away with complications from cancer. Three months after being diagnosed, this disease took his life. It attacked every minute, every hour, every day for 3 months. On July 27th dad was taken to Iowa City. He lived his last 11 days at Mercy Hospice on the 5th floor at Mercy Hospital. On Sunday August 1st his conditioned worsened. A call was made for family members to come as soon as possible. For the next five days my mom, brothers, sister and I lived at Mercy at my fathers bedside. My dads brother and sister were there every day also. The days and nights were filled with many tears as well as many prayers. Watching my father die was absolutely the hardest thing any of us have ever done. After dad drew his final breath, sadness and tears filled his room. But through all of this I felt a great relief, almost joy.. He was finally free of his cancer and pain and now starting on the greatest journey of all. Although we cannot walk this final stretch of his journey with him, we take great comfort knowing that Jesus is holding his hand and bringing him home.