Me and my dad.
On the morning of May 31st at the hour of 12:30 a.m. I received a call from my elderly Father's caregivers that he was having a difficult time breathing and that his pulse was very shallow. They asked me to come see him at his home right away. Luckily, I was with a dear friend and the two of us travelled to my parents' condo together...drinking coffee, talking and knowing that we were in for a long night.
When we arrived, she immediately went to spend time with my Mother and I went to see my Dad. He was lying on his bed where he had been lying all day long. When he heard my voice, he responded and said my name. He then asked to see my Mother. We brought her in and she said good night to him, not wanting to face the fact that he was passing. I then lay down beside him and held him as he took my hand and passed away at 2:30 a.m.
My Dad passed away on his own terms. He was ready and died peacefully in my arms. I thought that I would be ready for this to happen, bearing in my mind that my Dad was 94 years old. However, I have come to realize these last two weeks that I was not. I had many wonderful memories of my Dad and those memories keep me strong and put a smile on my face, however, I do miss him a lot.
We are the Baby Boomer Generation with many challenges, but we are also a generation of which our parents are living to a very old age. I feel blessed to have been there when he passed; however, I also do remember the responsibility over the last four years of taking care of both my Mother and Father, ensuring that they would live in their own home until they passed, while trying to have a life of my own.
However, was this responsibility any more than the responsibility that they had when I was a child? It is so interesting how the tables turn and the children become the parents. I wish for everyone reading this blog that they have the time to spend with their aging parents, talking about all of the good memories and keeping them safe and happy until they pass. I am still on a mission with my Mother and I hope that she passes with the same amount of dignity that my Dad did. To all of you living with aging parents it is a wonderful transition in your life, if you can embrace it and remember the Good Times...that is all you will have left at the end of the day.
by Leslie Traill, founder of “Sexy Over Sixty,” is a pioneer in the field of life coaching & personal empowerment. She is a sought after speaker, Certified NLP Coach, meditation coach, menopause coach and Counsellor.
When we arrived, she immediately went to spend time with my Mother and I went to see my Dad. He was lying on his bed where he had been lying all day long. When he heard my voice, he responded and said my name. He then asked to see my Mother. We brought her in and she said good night to him, not wanting to face the fact that he was passing. I then lay down beside him and held him as he took my hand and passed away at 2:30 a.m.
My Dad passed away on his own terms. He was ready and died peacefully in my arms. I thought that I would be ready for this to happen, bearing in my mind that my Dad was 94 years old. However, I have come to realize these last two weeks that I was not. I had many wonderful memories of my Dad and those memories keep me strong and put a smile on my face, however, I do miss him a lot.
We are the Baby Boomer Generation with many challenges, but we are also a generation of which our parents are living to a very old age. I feel blessed to have been there when he passed; however, I also do remember the responsibility over the last four years of taking care of both my Mother and Father, ensuring that they would live in their own home until they passed, while trying to have a life of my own.
However, was this responsibility any more than the responsibility that they had when I was a child? It is so interesting how the tables turn and the children become the parents. I wish for everyone reading this blog that they have the time to spend with their aging parents, talking about all of the good memories and keeping them safe and happy until they pass. I am still on a mission with my Mother and I hope that she passes with the same amount of dignity that my Dad did. To all of you living with aging parents it is a wonderful transition in your life, if you can embrace it and remember the Good Times...that is all you will have left at the end of the day.
by Leslie Traill, founder of “Sexy Over Sixty,” is a pioneer in the field of life coaching & personal empowerment. She is a sought after speaker, Certified NLP Coach, meditation coach, menopause coach and Counsellor.
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