One of the first tapes he ever bought me was The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Amazing Grace. I wore it out, and was thrilled when a year ago I found it again on CD.
He was in a hospital but on his feet when he died. As I lowered him to the bed my ear was over his mouth as he let out the death rattle. That will forever scramble your psyche.
At his funeral my mom and I made sure we had a lone piper at the gravesite. The Piper played Amazing Grace and The Last Post.
He died 14 years ago today.
This one's for you, Pop.
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
Amazing Grace
9 comments:
Thank you MR-I know you miss your father...as I do mine...
C-CS
my first wife passed away in my arms. she was only 36 years old.
shes been gone 4 years now...
a friend of mine who plays bagpipes and has competed in scotland played amazing grace for me and her at her funeral.
I know of what you speak Midnight rider, I am there with you....
Sometimes I think the best among us have been called home. (I have lost many family members within the last few years.)
Then I wonder what the rest will be facing.
God give us the grace and courage to face it like men with chests, as CS Lewis put it.
Ro
They don't really prepare us as we grow up for the real trials of life, and their meaning or what we do at those moments and what it will say to us about ourselves in how we treat those around us at those turning points of life.
We are puny giants at such moments.
Crushed and indefatigable.
Until our work is done.
Beautiful tribute MR
Rumcrook, my wife has had 6 cancer surgeries, then radiation and chemo since 1995..and I don't know how you stood it.
I could listen to this selection for hours.
So many in my family have gone home.
We didn't have any bagpipes at the funerals, but we always had "Amazing Grace."
Thanks for posting this, MR. Today is another Mother's Day without my mother, who left us suddenly 1987.
And Dad left is in 1998.
Thank you, all. Rumcrook, indeed you know what I'm talking about specifically (as do some others who may not have said so).
Epa, your first paragraph truer than you know in my case. I learned alot about myself and exactly what I was then capable of and was surprised by it.
Catching and lowering him to the bed was the begining. The death rattle will forever haunt. But being asked and agreeing to write and GIVE his eulogy 3 days later was probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.
But I did it dry eyed, even and sober, and that was his stoicism coming through.
you blog just made me cry again... j and i were talking about this the other day looking at the alabin pictures... it's the last time we clearly remember being there
-r
I kinda hated telling you two there but then again figured it was the best place since it was familiar, before you got back to the house and all that was swirling there. It gave you both a couple moments alone with it, to let it start to sink in, anyway.
Love ya kiddo.
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