Tina's daddy passed away this morning at roughly 5a.m. Tonight she sits in bed next to me wearing his pajamas, reading some of his written thoughts, and looking at old pictures while I type. She was gifted with a father who loved her very much and my heart breaks for her.
We, along with her brothers and extended family, have spent the last few weeks in the halls of hospitals and the corridors of hospice. And as we spent day in and day out in those quiet rooms, I couldn't help but think of those only a few doors down from us. In each room there was a family simply waiting on death.
I wondered what were those other patients lives like. Who were their loved ones? And what legacy were each of them leaving behind?
There is a quote that I adore by an unknown author (unknown to me) and it states: "The goal is not to live forever, the goal is to create something that will."
Terry Gragg leaves behind the bluest eyes I have ever seen as well as the tall, dark features that are found in his children. He leaves behind a sound of music that is forever recorded for the next generations to hear. He leaves behind the gift of seeing the beauty of nature as he taught others to respect the land. And most importantly, he leaves behind the love for all people no matter their station. For he was an example of how to never say an unkind word, and to always leave your door open as someone may be in need of shelter.
Terry also leaves behind a rooster. A gorgeous free range rooster that I was completely terrified of. He never let it come near me and instead distracted my fear by teaching me all about the chicken species. The first time Terry told me that chickens flew up into the trees at night to roost, I thought the man was crazy. But just as dusk began to fall, he pointed to roughly ten chickens in his trees.
Watching someone who was so kind to the world suffer, makes you question a great many things. Life becomes so unfair and yet so precious.
When Terry took his last earthly breath, I hope that he knew that all of his legacies were in that room with him. Those short 66yrs he spent here continue to ripple through time with the examples that he set for all of us.
And while a part of us is happy that he now gets to hug his mama and run through fields with his cousin Duck, there is an all encompassing grief for those still here. We find solace in the fact that he does get to see those who have passed before him, and that he is no longer suffering in pain. The memories we have will envelope our hearts until we meet again.
And the next time you see a tall, blue-eyed, woodsman playing a guitar in front of a rooster, know that there's still a little piece of Terry here and he will have his door open.
p.s.
In regards to my previous blog, a massive thank you to everyone who shared, liked, tweeted, and donated to help pay for Terry's funeral costs. We were fortunate enough to have family, friends, and strangers to help put down a sizable amount of the cost. Although our hearts are heavy at this time, they are filled with love in knowing that so many out there care. xo
