Disclosure: Precious Moments sent me the Forever in My Heart figurine in exchange for sharing this post with you. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.
If you have been following me for a while then you know that 16 years ago my father passed away from congestive heart failure. For us there was nothing harder at that point in life. Watching the man who taught me how to ride a bike, to read, to be the person that I am, simply fade away was something that I never hope to go through again. The doctors told him in August of 1999 that he had six months to a year to life and just after Easter in April of 2000 he was gone. I remember sitting in his hospital room with him that last day and he was talking to someone that only he knew.
There weren’t words coming out of his mouth since he was in a coma but his mouth was moving and at one point he even opened his eyes, looked right at me and then behind me before he spoke directly to me then closed his eyes. I was the last person he looked at or spoke to. My brother and aunts walked back into the room after that and when I went to get my mother from down stairs he passed away. My brother said it was very peaceful, he took a breath and then just stopped.
Our faith gave me the strength to do everything that followed. Had I not known that he was is a better place then I don’t think I would have been able to get through everything. I didn’t have the time to grieve my loss as Ma fell apart. It took months to get her out of his shirts and to force her to acknowledge that he was gone. His death crushed her and actually I wasn’t even the one who pulled her out of herself. It was my niece who was only three at the time and told her all about Poppa’s angel wings one morning when she woke up. She told her just how beautiful they were. She still barely leaves the house and doesn’t like to have much interaction with anyone outside of us.
Our home is still filled with pictures of my daddy and that is the way I want it to be. My faith lets me know that I will see him again and he is watching over me. I have felt him there during my darker times. We celebrate his favorite holidays (Christmas and Thanksgiving) as though he was still with us. I light his candle every night and whenever I go the church for a little peace. I take the time to thank God every night that he gave me such an amazing man as my father.
A Little Reminder
Precious Moments has a new Forever In My Heart figurine that is perfect for when you have lost someone and need to remember they are in a better place. The little angel with wings will help you “see” just how beautiful your loved ones wings truly are. I am waiting to give this to my mother until their anniversary in September because I want her to have something beautiful to mark the day with. I still send her flowers every year and sign my father’s name to them. However this year I think this little figurine will be perfect for her. The beautiful Forever In My Heart figurine is available on Precious Moments’ website.
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15% Off
Precious Moments is offering 15% off Inspirational figurines today, June 23rd, only with the promo code: INSPIRED2016. This part of “35 Days of Loving and Sharing” event in which each day – from May 22 through June 25th– Precious Moments will have 15% off a different product or category for that day only. You can check the Precious Moments Facebook Page each day to see what new sales are happening, all leading up to the final day when they will introduce a beautiful new exclusive!
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I love precious moments figures.
I do as well. There is just something about them that speak to me.
What a beautiful post Rita..I cannot image life without Dad, he’s going to be 85 on July 4th and I take every opportunity that I have to visit to call and to make him feel so important.
Thank you. Life with him is much harder at times than others. The saying that time heals all wounds is not true. I think time and distance helps things become bearable. The one thing I learned from all of that was to never let a day go by and not tell those you love that you love them. It can all be over in the blink of an eye.
Wow, thank you for sharing this with us. What a tough thing you’ve been through, and are still going through. It’ great that you have your faith to help you through. I think that Precious Moments figurine will be a wonderful gift for your mom. I’m sorry she’s having such a rough time.
Thank you for you kind words. Ma just lost herself after my daddy passed away and for whatever reason she hasn’t found her way back. She depended on him for pretty much everything and his death hit her hard.
I remember these Precious Moments figurines from when I was a kid. They are always sweet.
Thanks you for sharing precious moments with us. I still remember mine.