Joe peacefully passed away last evening in the utmost comfort and with great dignity.....
THANKS SO MUCH to the amazing staff at Allied Services
Hospice Center who kept him calm, comfortable and pain free....
Dear God, I truly think I am strong enough now....
The last 5 weeks were filled with physicians, hospital and ED stays, medications and tests and more tests...
Through it all, I held my ground....
I tried to set an example of strength for my family and I carried them all on my shoulders and tried to prepare them the best I could for what I knew in my heart was the inevitable...
Even though these last 5 weeks were the most stressful time of our lives, they were a GIFT!!
We were allowed to spend time with Joe, tell him how much we all loved him and what he meant to all of us....
It is a Gift that he got to see our twin granddaughters and even helped to bring them home from the hospital when they were born.....
And
to see them and hold them ....
And to play with our grand pups...
A Gift that he was able to spend a few last days at home between hospitalizations...
The day he left the hospital to come home for a few days....
A Gift that he gave me the instructions on what I need to do to move on in life without him...
In the end, as I did with my mother, I gave him permission to go...
Told him we would all be alright and would never stop loving him and never ever forget him..that we would tell the Twins stories about him to make them laugh...
That his Mom, his sister Barb and BIL Rick, my Mom and Dad, my nephews Craig and John were all waiting for him...
That Cassie and Savanna were also waiting at the Rainbow Bridge for him...
He passed peacefully 5 hours later....
Even though these last 5 weeks were the most horrific weeks of our lives, they were a GIFT that many do not get....
And for that, we are forever thankful that we got the chance to say Good Bye.....
It was Joe's choice to go to Hospice because he knew that he would be made comfortable and pain free, be treated with the utmost respect and dignity and most of all, that we could remain his family and not become his caretakers.....
And that was the biggest Gift of all....
THANK YOU for all of your prayers and support during this difficult time...
It is gratefully appreciated....
And PLEASE understand that we will be saying our last Good Bye to Joe PRIVATELY as a family....
It is what we need to do to deal with this tremendous loss in our lives.....
I will be taking a break from Blogging for a bit to deal with all of this....
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May you feel our Lords love, peace and strength.
ReplyDeleteHe gives it freely.
You all will continue to be in my prayers.
Blessings to you all,
Minnie
Minnie,
DeleteThanks so much for your visit and for your continued prayers... It has been gratefully appreciated....J
Hugs,
Deb
Oh Debbie, I am so, so very sorry. My heart is just broken for you and your dear family. I've read your posts for years, where you shared family holidays, outings, delicious looking holiday dinners and more, all featuring pictures and stories of Joe. My favorites were the ones where he'd seen something on sale, that he knew you'd love, and brought it home. I'm sending you love, hugs and prayers my friend. xo Kim
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry. You are the strongest person I know. I feel like your post is consoling me. I am glad that your family was able to deal with Joe's passing on all your terms. That he could experience the joy of his granddaughters, that you all were able to express how much you love him and tell him what you needed to say. I am so glad that he was pain free and that Hospice was able to accommodate all that he needed. He lived a very blessed life with you all as his family. I will be praying for peace and comfort for all of you.
ReplyDeleteOh, Debbie, there are no words to tell you how sorry I am to hear of Joe's passing. I'm so glad you were able to have the time with him to share all he meant to you. You've been strong for everyone else, please be sure to take care of yourself. One day at a time is perfect...I'll 'see' you when you are back. Sending you much love - XO
ReplyDeleteHeartbroken for you and your family, Debbie. I send prayers to you all for strength and peace. God bless you. xo,V.
ReplyDeleteV.,
DeleteThanks so much V. for all your prayers... We will get through this and emerge stronger than ever because my family will do it together.....
Hugs,
Deb
I am mourning. Send me Your comfort now. Wrap Your arms around me and hold me tight. Send angels of mercy to me. Shower Your comfort on me through those around me.
ReplyDeleteLord, remind me that no matter what comes my way, Your love and grace are greater than any challenges I may face. Thank You for Your constant presence in my life and for always being my hope and strength.
My deepest condolences to you and your family
Mike
Mike,
DeleteThanks so much for your kind words...It means a lot to us..
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie, may you and your family find peace through the love you share. May your loving memories of your Joe sustain you and keep you in God's embrace.
ReplyDeletePam,
DeleteThanks so much for your kind words...It is gratefully appreciated...
Hugs,
Deb
Tears in my eyes as I read this, Joe is peaceful now with his family in heaven, and he'll be shopping for all the bargains up there. Take care of yourself Deb, my love and thoughts are with you.
ReplyDeleteLinda,
DeleteYes, Joe is at peace and the greatest Blessing has been that we were all able to say Good Bye and tell him how much we loved him....Thanks so much for your thoughts, prayers and love!!
HUgs,
Deb
“Lord, we know that You are the God who comforts us. I pray that You provide a time of comfort and rest for those whose hearts are hurting right now. Hold them in Your embrace, Father. Wrap them in Your love and remind them that though they may have lost someone dear, they are not alone, for You are with them." Please accept my deepest condolences on the loss of Joe, and my prayers for you and all your family at this sad time for all of you. May God's loving arms surround you all and bring you peace and strength.
ReplyDeleteDawn P. Albany, GA
Dawn,
DeleteThanks so much for your prayers for myself and my family during this difficult time...It is gratefully appreciated...
Hugs,
Deb
One day at a time, my friend. I am so deeply sorry for the loss, the suddenness of it all, the sadness that comes with it. I am grateful only for the fact that his end was peaceful and filled with love, family, good memories and knowing how deeply he was loved by you all. Yes, there were many gifts in those last weeks and his memory will remain alive in your stories and pictures and memories. Write them down for those little girls so they know their grandpa when they get older. I send deep wishes for peace and healing.
ReplyDeleteDebbie, I am so sorry for the passing of Joe. I am sending thoughts and prayers to you and the family during this time.
ReplyDeleteI was sorry to read this, Debbie. Sounds like God was gracious to you during these weeks and I will continue to keep you in prayer. Hugs to you as well.
ReplyDeletePJ,
DeleteIt was a blessing that we were able to say Good Bye and tell him how much we loved him....I was denied that when my Dad died suddenly so I was grateful for getting that chance to do so with Joe....Thank you for your continued prayers..
Hugs,
Deb
My most heartfelt sympathy to you and your family. Saying good bye is never easy, but what a gift it was that you and your family could tell Joe how much he was loved and how much he will be missed. Wishing you comfort and peace.
ReplyDeleteYes, I definitely was a Gift...Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and for your continued prayers...
DeleteHugs,
Deb
My sincere sympathy on Joe's passing. I have been a long-time reader of your blog. Like others will say, I feel that I know both you and Joe as friends. Your post brought tears to my eyes, as it brought back memories of taking care of my parents in their last years. Your perspective is one worth keeping and sharing with others who are going through the same thing. God bless you and your family. Linda in AZ
ReplyDeleteLinda,
DeleteThanks so much for your very kind words and for your prayers... Together, we will make it through this and we will be stronger because of it!!
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie, I was so saddened to hear this news. I hope with time the good and happy memories eclipse the grief you're feeling now. Thank you for sharing your life and blog with us all these years--it's a source of comfort and joy and appreciated by many, whether we express it frequently or not.
ReplyDeleteThanks so very much for your very kind and comforting words.... We are already remembering many good times and by doing so, we will keep Joe alive!!
DeleteHugs,
Deb
Dear Debbie, please accept my deepest condolences on Joe's passing. Your strength was certainly an inspiration to your family and the love you shared would have been such a comfort to all. Take care of yourself too; you are in our thoughts. Judy in Australia 🇦🇺
ReplyDeleteJudy,
DeleteThanks so much for taking the time to stop by and for your kind words...It means a lot to us...
Hugs,
Deb
Bless you, Debbie. Sending prayers for you and your family and a big hug. I know God is giving you strength. xo Deb
ReplyDeleteI’m so sorry.
ReplyDeleteYour quotes here are very inspiring to me.
We lost my husband’s day this month as well and the Hospice center was very helpful.
Take it easy.
Laurie
Debbie, thank you for emailing me and letting me know about Joe's home-going. Praying you will feel the presence of the Lord and His comfort during this time! I'll be featuring your post this week, in honor of you and Joe.
ReplyDeleteA moving and eloquent tribute to someone you’ve clearly truly loved. God be with you,
ReplyDeleteHis mercies endure forever.
My sincere sympathy to you, Debbie. May you find strength in your next stage of living.
ReplyDeleteI was so sorry to hear about your loss, Debbie. You and your family will remain in my prayers. God bless you all.
ReplyDeleteAdding my prayers to all the others who continue to lift you and your family up, Debbie. I'm so thankful you were able to say goodbye and have been comforted by the outpouring of love and support. While I never met Joe in person I always looked forward to hearing about your many adventures together. He was definitely a treasure and I know he'll be dearly missed. Sending you lots of hugs and love as you work through the grief process. May you find comfort and healing in each day, CoCo
ReplyDeleteDebbie I am so sorry to read this news. I saw this on another blog. Sending you and your family and granddaughters much love from Colorado, laura
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, Debbie! I am a new reader to your blog (found you on a recent link party) and I've been inspired by your faith and resolve as you've faced so much during these past months and weeks. I pray that in the coming days as you celebrate Joe and all he meant to each of you that your memories will bring peace and comfort to you all!
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry. I'm glad you and your family were able to spend quality time with Joe, and that is indeed a special gift. God Bless you, Debbie.
ReplyDelete