And then it was over

My sweet grandfather passed away this morning about 10:00.  It has been a long, hard-fought battle with multiple health conditions, challenging experiences, and moments I will never forget.

As he very slowly passed away over a span of many days, I had the opportunity to sit quietly with him while holding his hand, and listen to the sound of his breathing, knowing that he could hear me, although he couldn't respond.

I told him about my favorite moments of us together, recounted our favorite jokes that were just for the two of us, and reminded him about some of the best family moments.  It was the kind of time that you know you should spend with your family, but never seem to make time to do it.

I told him my most personal details and feelings about the painful crumbling of my former marriage, the subsequent divorce, and the rebuilding path I have been on for the last 18 months.  I told him about the pressure I feel in my current role at Intermountain, my long-term career goals, and the ways in which I want to impact the world through my work.  I told him about the role I think I am supposed to play within our family - and how that shapes my behaviors.

I told him of my testimony in God the Father and in His Son Jesus Christ - knowing that we are an eternal family, and that this is but a brief separation in our time together.  That we will only be separated by a physical practicality because we are ultimately sealed by a power much greater than mortal life and death.

I told him that I love him very much and that he has shaped much of who I am today.  God be with you 'til we meet again.