RIP Grandpa

My grandpa passed away on February 8th and even though it was a day I was anticipating it was not easy at all. I got the call from my mom on January 28th that my grandpa wasn't doing well and they didn't know how much time he had left. This was hard to take even though I knew it was coming. My grandpa visited us back in October and he didn't look so good. Actually, Andy and I discussed how that was the last time we would see him. I just knew that would be the last time and while we discussed it, I was very sad about it. I thought about the day my grandpa would pass and thought about preparing myself so the day wouldn't be a shock.

No matter how much I prepared myself it was still hard. From the end of January until the 8th it was a roller coaster of emotions. It was hard and weird to sit around and wait for someone to pass away. It was hard to get the daily updates via text or phone call. It was extremely difficult to know that he was in the dying process and you don't know how long it would take him to pass away. It's a natural instinct to want to save someone, but the doctor told my family it was his time and he was dying. There was no saving him. You just have to sit back and be there for him as he passes away. It was tough to be so far away during this difficult time, but I also know it was tougher on my family to be there in person and watch my grandpa go through the dying process.

I thought many times about getting on a plane to make it to say goodbye, but I didn't. My mom informed me that grandpa didn't look good at all and didn't look like himself. It was best for me to keep the good memories of grandpa in my mind and stay in Arizona until the funeral. So, that is what I did. I did get to talk to my grandpa a couple times on the phone. He knew it was me both times I called and he told me he was going to make it out to Arizona soon to visit me again. Of course I knew that was not going to happen, even though it would have been nice.

My mom called me at work at 2:30 in the afternoon on that Monday. I knew what I was about to hear when the phone rang and saw it was my mom calling. I knew as I grabbed for the phone it was going to be the dreaded news that I was preparing myself for. Even though I knew what I was about to hear it didn't make the news any easier as I just broke down after I hung up that phone.

I headed home from work to book my flight to say goodbye to my grandpa. All three of us took off two days later on the 10th to say goodbye to a wonderful grandpa, father and husband.

Rest In Peace Grandpa!