My brother just called to let me know that our dad passed away this morning (or rather the morning of August 6th in Thailand time). He was 67 years old.
I got the call and message when I got into work. I guess it still hasn't sunk in, although most of us knew it was coming. He's been disabled since his brain aneurysm in 1986. I've known him in this condition for 22 years, longer than I knew him in his normal condition, since I was 14 years old when he got sick.
Apparently, he had a heart attack and he quickly passed away. It was probably pretty peaceful, unlike my mother's death.
Gabe and I were just saying that it's been a year exactly since we were in Thailand. I'm so grateful that he and my dad were able to meet. I don't think my father really understood, but maybe he did. In the past few years, he started to tire more easily and he seemed to lose more long term memory. I don't think he even knew who I was last year. Before, he always remembered me as a child, but last year, I think he thought I was a stranger.
I told Namu that it was much harder when my mother passed away because I had to handle her estate and business affairs while working and going to graduate school. My father's affairs should be relatively simple. I think his funeral will be simple too. My mom had a large family and a large nursing community that she was a part of so her funeral was a big event that lasted a week. My father's family is small so I believe they are just going to cremate him and deposit his bones in the river where we deposited my mother's remains.
I am grateful that he passed peacefully. I believe he is with my mom now, whole and the way he used to be. And like Leslie said, they are probably discussing their new grandchild.
I got the call and message when I got into work. I guess it still hasn't sunk in, although most of us knew it was coming. He's been disabled since his brain aneurysm in 1986. I've known him in this condition for 22 years, longer than I knew him in his normal condition, since I was 14 years old when he got sick.
Apparently, he had a heart attack and he quickly passed away. It was probably pretty peaceful, unlike my mother's death.
Gabe and I were just saying that it's been a year exactly since we were in Thailand. I'm so grateful that he and my dad were able to meet. I don't think my father really understood, but maybe he did. In the past few years, he started to tire more easily and he seemed to lose more long term memory. I don't think he even knew who I was last year. Before, he always remembered me as a child, but last year, I think he thought I was a stranger.
I told Namu that it was much harder when my mother passed away because I had to handle her estate and business affairs while working and going to graduate school. My father's affairs should be relatively simple. I think his funeral will be simple too. My mom had a large family and a large nursing community that she was a part of so her funeral was a big event that lasted a week. My father's family is small so I believe they are just going to cremate him and deposit his bones in the river where we deposited my mother's remains.
I am grateful that he passed peacefully. I believe he is with my mom now, whole and the way he used to be. And like Leslie said, they are probably discussing their new grandchild.