When Life Comes to an End
I have spent the last several weeks at the hospital sitting with my only living aunt on my dad’s side of the family while her husband was slowly dying. To say it was difficult would be an understatement. You see, any time you sit at a hospital for extended periods of time is very hard. It was hard to watch him losing his battle with illness, and it was hard to watch my aunt losing her husband of 64 years. They never had any children and were totally devoted to one another.
As we watched his life slipping away day after day we began to talk about what he had done in his life. He was a naval officer and spent time working as a medic during battles. He was a retired Memphis City Police Officer. In fact, he was the officer on the balcony with Dr. Martin Luther King when he was shot. In his retirement, he was a locksmith helping hundreds of people by opening doors when they couldn’t unlock them or replacing door handles and locks so that the occupants might be safe. He was a “doer.”
He was a little bit “quirky” and could make a person laugh when they might not feel like it. I loved his sense of humor and the way he could always make me feel special. He cared about others and always tried to make them feel like they mattered. He was fun to be around and always had a lighthearted comment to make. He loved to make people happy.
I could go on and on with so many things about his life that would impress you, but the most important thing about his life was that he was a Christian and he served others. He loved his wife more than any other person on this earth. He loved me and my family, and he dearly loved his friends, Rick and Cyndie, who lived close to them and helped them in so many ways.
Today he will be laid to rest, but the memories will last a lifetime.
As Paul said about himself, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness…” (2 Timothy 4:7-8a).
Uncle Mike was comforted by these words in his last few days of life. May Aunt Martha be comforted by these same words for all the days of her life.
AUTHOR: Donna Faughn
