Previous Challenge Entry (EDITOR'S CHOICE)
Topic: DEVOTED( 02/04/21)
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TITLE:
Letting Him Go | Writing Challenge By Carolyn Ahrens 02/11/21 |
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3rd Place
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Glancing around the room, she saw her brothers…one asleep in a recliner and the other stretched out on the floor. Never leaving his side except to go to the restroom, she was determined to stay close. What if he woke up and she wasn’t there to speak soothing words? What if he didn’t know where he was and needed a familiar face to bring him comfort?
She heard ladies talking just outside the door. “Such a loving family. They are so devoted to him.â€
It was true. They loved their daddy dearly. She had grown closer to him during the seven years they worked together as her mother’s caregivers after a stroke. Though he was in his eighties, her daddy was strong and healthy…never missing a beat. He’d always been devoted to his family, his God, and his country. A proud veteran of 3o years, serving in three wars, she did everything in her power to give him the dignity, honor, and love he so deserved.
When their mother passed away, they thought life would get back to normal, but that didn’t happen. Alzheimer’s invaded her daddy’s mind. Looking back, she and her brothers saw the signs but brushed them off due to the daily demands of caring for their mother.
A couple of years after her death, they admitted his safety had become a big concern. Even with all the security precautions put in place, he’d become like Houdini. They finally made a gut-wrenching decision that caused her anguish but felt they had to do.
On a spring day in May 2015, she left her daddy in the hands of total strangers at a nearby memory care home. It felt like her heart was exploding as she kissed him goodbye. Walking quickly, she headed for the door, not looking back.
Seeing so many of the residents walking around crying, and calling out for a loved one that wasn’t there, she was determined not to let this happen to her daddy…not if she could help it. One by one, relatives were lined up to stay with him on the days she nor her brothers could be there.
He’d always been a strong man, and seeing him lying there so helpless, made her cry. Scrunching up close to him she said, “I love you Daddy. We’re all here with you.†Hearing his baby doll’s voice (that’s what he called her), he tried to open his eyes but couldn’t, yet there was no doubt in her mind that he heard his baby doll.
How had it gotten to this point? Three days earlier, her daddy ate breakfast then laid down for a morning nap. Shortly afterward, a nurse called to report he wasn’t responding; his breathing was shallow, and fever had set in…the family should come.
It was just after midnight and the grandchildren had left, including a grandson that was in the army, who had been notified by the Red Cross of his grandpa’s condition. Since calling the family in, the hospice nurse had been staying close by. This time when she checked his vitals, they weren’t good. “Your daddy is struggling to breathe,†she explained. “He’s using the muscles in his shoulders to inhale. That’s why his shoulders thrust forward when he takes a breath. He’s mustering all his strength to stay here with you. Your daddy needs to hear you say that it’s okay to leave…that you’ll be fine.â€
She wasn’t ready for him to leave her, but it was evident he was struggling to stay. It broke her heart seeing him in such agony. Bending down she whispered in his ear, “Daddy…this is your baby doll. I Love You. I know you’re tired. It’s okay if you want to go on home.†Tears streaming down her face she continued, “You taught me well. I’ll be fine. You can leave whenever you’re ready. Mama and Jesus are waiting there for you.â€
As he breathed his last, she envisioned angels escorting him into heaven. His eternal life was just beginning. Because of Jesus' devotion to saving us, one day she’d join him in heaven...they’d never have to say goodbye again.
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