Dec 27... and the prayer continues a wee bit longer... firstly... to inform as folk are asking... our beloved bill mallards material temple will be returned to sweet mother earth next saturday, jan 3... we will meet at turner funeral home at 10 am and process to westview cemetery for a graveside service at 11am... then later that same day we will gather at glenn memorial united methodist church for a memorial celebration service at 2pm with a reception following... all who might feel compelled to join us are, of course, warmly welcomed. secondly... to share the amazing christmas gifts that sweet daddy-o delivered on his way up and out... the last several weeks he had been talking about wanting to go home pretty consistently... last saturday his grandson edison was playing on the bed next to him and daddy-o said im needing to get on home... edison said, you are home... daddy-o stared blankly and then i said maybe he means another home... daddy-o do you mean another home?... he turned to me and held my gaze... i heard a big Yes! in his eyes... He also was loosing his language... his speech... which was probably his favorite of all things human... And he could tell it was slipping... the words not coming with the eloquent ease hed always known... and in some of those blank moments we could feel his shyness or dismay and thus sadness filled the room - where normally it had stayed a bay... Also the christmas season played such a perfect lullaby... gorgeous carols in twinkling tree lights rocking him into release. He loved christmas...he loved jesus... and he loved singing... The three combined!... well that was his hot fudge sundae... especially when a good crowd was joining in. And this deluxe sundae was delivered to him every christmas eve as he led the opening carols... featuring his signature song the amen chorus... for the introduction to the pageant performance at his beloved glenn memorial... The church folk had been in a stir as to what could happen this year instead and decided to ask my brothers, reid and rob, to stand in for daddy-o. A few weeks prior reid and rob told sweet daddy-o of the honor they had received and his response was very telling... he was deeply distressed... like it had just hit him... the realization brought up before him in vivid technicolor.. he wasnt gonna get his super yummy christmas treat this year... and thus the joyful carols turned lullaby... falalas blanketed in muffled melancholy. The night before his transition he had a fever which lasted into the morning and was then joined by the ol burdensome hiccups... mama was concerned but decided a blocked catheter (wed had many) was the culprit and the hospice nurse was called to come and solve the issue. Daddy-o was sort of groaning after each hiccup but every time mama asked if he was in pain or uncomfortable he said No... which turned out to be his only word that day. Mid-day his fever broke and by late afternoon the hiccups vanished and he seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Early evening about 6:15 mama was in the kitchen and heard a sort of shout/groan from the bedroom and went rushing in... about the same time carol the hospice nurse arrived... daddy-os breathing was strained and full of effort... rob describes it as a panting... mama calls it chain-stoke breathing. She sent out the call to us all... I was in Athens at the copy shop making my last minute gifts... she said were definitely close... carol says 24 - 48 hours. I got my copies headed home walked in the door mama called again this time saying he just stopped breathing but his heart is still beating ill hold the phone up to his ear so you can talk to him... and so i did... dropping deeply into my heart and with all the sweet love i could muster i whispered... oh daddy-o youre going home! all is well! i love you so much! ill see you again soon... over and over and over again. then i drove through the rain... when I arrived i heard more... mama and alison (reids wife) were on one side and on the other rob sat singing... rob sang him across... he started with precious lord lead me home went through a few others and it was during the amen chorus that sweet daddy-o took his last breath... and apparently that last expiration was a doozy... he squinched up his face like he was straining... mustering up all of his spiritual gel... and then with relief release allowance... he let out a long long sigh... it was a note... a tone... he sang his last breath and it went on for 30 to 40 seconds... then a pulse for a few more minutes... then... peace. mama said over and over... what a gift! what a gift! he went so easily once it was time... what a gift! we had already decided we would keep him with us for a bit and tend him ourselves... so after a few hours reid and mama and i washed his body... rubbed him in oil... brushed his teeth (for he loved it so)... combed his hair... gave him a shave... thanked his sweet body temple for carrying his mighty soul so well and so long... dressed him and wrapped him in the white blanket that had been his faithful servant since he had taken to his bed. I sat up with him all night... meditating... praying... envisioning his flight. the next day church folk came to visit... everyone is saying sweet daddy-o wasnt about to miss his beloved christmas eve service and door number 1 was the only choice... and so he took it. reid and rob wrestled with whether or not to go ahead and participate in daddy-os stead and thankfully decided so... and thus the conduit was put in place... the channel obvious and open... and by goodness daddy-o showed up yall!!... like he was In da Hooowse!... reid and robs earnest, heartfelt and wonderful conducting of a number of favorite carols created the perfect cauldron so daddy-os spark might ignite... his oh so special spark of divine enthusiasm... his precious gift.. then rob surprised us all by asking me to get up and join the finale amen chorus... already a super ecstatic spiritual song tellin the story... see the little baby... amen... layin in a manger... amen... on christmas morning... amen amen amen!... clapping and singing our little hearts out...filling the grand sanctuary with anguished adoration... we sang it out!... amen!... the sacred word of old... amen!... a cry for closure... amen!... a cry for continuation... amen!... filling ourselves with god... amen!... filling ourselves with daddy-o... amen! Overwhelmed! my tender heart was cracking wide open... feeling daddy-o so strong... feeling his love for his church family... feeling his love for his most cherished guide, his beloved, jesus... feeling his love of bringing joyful song to the people... feeling his love of love... feeling my tears of love. At the last Amen the packed house jumped to their feet in a standing ovation... goosebumps flooded my skin as the telltale cheers of enthusiasm rose up filling the sanctuary... lifting the roof... it was all i could do not to shatter into a million pieces of grief joy ecstasy sorrow wonder... amazement!!!!... Daddy-o is Here!!!!! It is all so truly amazing!... death is a miracle... resurrection so very real... thank you daddy-o! for these christmas gifts... and for all the many gifts youve shared with me and so many others... my heart will sing for you always. lovelovelove
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 03:23:23 +0000