Preparations

I am the product of two addictive personalities.  That isn’t all a bad thing.  It pretty much means whatever my folks do they do it whole hog.  There is no half way with them.   Just because it is my dad’s impending death we’re dealing with doesn’t change the way we roll.  Mollie, my sister, and I were very good students.  I’ve been too busy to blog about how things are going lately due to the fact that we are working my dad’s death plan.  This may be weird and uncomfortable to many, but everyone deals with grief and death in their own way even within the same genetic pool.  

I’ve mentioned before that Dad seems very much at peace.  -This doesn’t mean he has no pain.  Please continue to pray that his pain can be managed and his nausea abates and that he be comfortable. - We have met with the funeral home and made all the necessary decisions.  He discussed with my brother the message he would have him convey in the message he gives at the funeral.  A quilted family tree has been designed per his specifications to hang in the lid of his casket.  Tomorrow we meet as a family with the grandkids and a hospice worker to discuss Papa’s approaching death.  They will also get to share, in Papa’s presence, memories of him.  In true Nielsen spirit we have memorialized the occasion by having Papa’s verse printed on royal blue t’ shirts. (Proverbs 22:28).  So far we have scanned about 300 pictures of Dad’s life for a slide show.  It feels good tohave things to do.

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.”

I Thesselonians 4:13 NASB

Preparation busies our bodies as hope buoys our spirits.  We are saddened as we prepare to celebrate Dad’s life, but live with the expectation that we will see him again.   

My friend Connie made this frog suit for Merritt when he was born.  I knew it would make Mama and Papa smile!