Vigil with my dad has ended
 

Dear Her2support friends:

My father chose to meet his Lord and Savior on a perfect, sunny day in Seattle at 10:50am. The sky was the color of blue that he always loved about his visits and reminding him of his college days at the University of Washington. That brilliant blue color was a reflection of his own crystal blue eyes onto the world around him.

My mom and 2 sisters are here and together we are setting the stage for dad's celebration of life later in the week. My brother is writing the obit. Dad slipped into a coma on Saturday and his passing was peaceful and without distress for him. I am very sad, yet that is being ameliorated by relief as the minutes tick by.

Here is something that one of our HER2 sisters sent me a while back that is SO appropriate to the way my dad lived his life. I think one of my nephews plans to read it at the service, if not one of my sisters.

Thank you for your love and prayers through all these difficult months.

What Will Matter
By Michael Josephson (Ethicist)


Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.
So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won’t matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.
It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought but what you built,
Not what you got but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched,
Empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew,
But how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
What will matter is not your memories but the memories of those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters

I'm so sorry
 

on the loss of your dad. My condolences to you and your entire family. I think the writing your nephew will read is beautiful to honor his life. It sounds like he lived it. I'm glad he went peacefully, but I know he will be terribly missed. Much love to you. Vi Schorpp

I'm sorry Steph...
 

my thoughts and prayers are with you. Take care and God bless.

Rhonda

I am so sorry for your loss Steph. I hope you see lots of Seattle blue to remind you of your dad's angel eyes. Peace be with you and yours..

My deepest sympathy to you and your family my dear friend.

All my sympathy, Steph. My father passed from this life in July 2002. I felt a lot of love around me in the months after that. I believe love lives on.

It's so very clear how much your dad passed on to you! How lucky he was to have had you all there and for you to have each other now! A celebration of life will be so fitting for his goodbye. Condolences to you and your family. ma

So sorry to hear your news...
 

Dear lovely Steph,

I just wanted you to know that my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this difficult time. The loss of someone we dearly love is always too soon. Yet, somehow we must try to focus, as you obviously are, on celebrating that they were! And that they were a strong part of your life!

It is comforting to hear that your Dad passed on peacefully. I too cherish the heavenly blue color of the sky and there, some place in the Spiritual Realm, he is. Your Dad still *is*. He still exists. I do believe death is not the end of our story. The Soul moves on, in to another form of being.

I know you are grateful for the blessing of having him as your Dad, rather than lingering in what might have been. You will continue to carry him in your heart, in your thoughts, in your acts and words. The invisible essence of him will never die. His being will stay with you, echoing from your Soul...

You cannot see him, but your faith will tell you he has moved on. He is simply *someplace else*. Still, he is with you, and by your side. He cannot speak, but you can hear him well. His Spirit lives on...

With love,
Andi

My dear Steph,

I am so sorry to hear the news and my thoughts are with you in this difficult moment. I am glad that you found some confort in the weriting you enclosed and it is indeed a very beautiful piece. I am glad that it also was peaceful for you all.

Dear Steph,
My deepest sympathy on the passing of your Father. His memory and all his wonderful teachings that he so generously gave to you will always remain within your heart.

Kind Regards,
Jean

Hi StephN

I am so very sorry for your loss and send you and your family my deepest sympathy. There is no easy way to lose someone you love.

I watched my Dad's warm, blue eyes become tired, watery, blue eyes. I miss him so much. I wish you many, many happy memories of your Dad.... though you cannot always see the bird singing, when you listen with your heart, you can always hear his song.

Steph
I send my sympathy and prayers to you, your Mom and your family..how lucky your Dad was to have you close by near the end...and lucky for you to treasure these times....may you be at peace knowing that he no longer suffers, he is free, and his love will continue to surround you.

I am sorry to hear the news Steph. Please share my sympathy to your family.

Julie

Dear Steph,

I am so sorry to read of your dear father's passing. Please know that you and your family are in my prayers.

Hugs,
Lexi

Deepest condolences to you and your family, Steph. My dad also had sky blue eyes.... your description and Pink's post made me think of my dad very warmly and poignantly today. I lost him in 2004. He, my mom, and my brother, all constantly shower me with love from their beautiful home in the heavenly clouds.

Blue skies
 

Steph,

Never did we think when his circumstances changed what it would be like, but you have been there throughout it all whether or not you always felt like it. I think the gift he left behind is what you are.

I especially hope that there will be some light shed on the new problems you have been having.

Best wishes to you and your family,

AlaskaAngel

Dear Steph

I am very sorry about the loss of your dad. You and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Peace,

Steph, it is so hard to lose a parent, no matter how long the struggle has gone on. My thoughts are with you.

I am so sorry for your loss! My thoughts and prayers are with you.

I'm very sorry for your loss, Steph. It's very hard to lose a parent no matter what our age. I'm keeping you and your family in my prayers.
Hugs