Soulmates

6-13-2024

Soulmates

When mom died on 12 January 2016 it was obvious that part of dad died too. Dad often said he didn’t understand why he was still alive. He wanted oh so much to be with mom. There were times I had to remind him that God wasn’t done with him yet. His being around had a purpose, a Godly purpose.

It seems funny saying that to a retired licensed minister, who seemed to forget.

When mom and dad married in 1948 it was for better or for worse. Raising four boys and being surrounded by family, brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, nephews and numerous grandkids meant that there were plenty of both.

It’s a sure bet that whether fishing, hunting, raising vegetables, berries or just driving around you’d never see one without the other. Over the years they had never been apart except for their independent stays in Boise area hospitals.

I must admit that I hadn’t been around much during my military career, but I looked forward to doing what I could for them and visiting with my brothers and their families. After fully retiring I began frequent trips to Boise to assist them any way that I could. Take one or the other to and from medical appointments and hospital visits or to visit the other during their stays. One time I found mom crying as she feverously searched for her marriage license. She always stored her important papers in her metal box. She said without it her and dad weren’t really married. I kidded her about that made my brothers and I illegitimate offspring without realizing it may have been an early sign of Alzheimer. I contacted the county clerk where they had been married and soon a certified copy of the marriage license came in the mail. I showed it to her and placed it in her metal box, right beside her original marriage license.

When they moved in with my younger brother and his family it was obvious they still had that spark of being madly in love with each other “Soulmates”. You saw it in their eyes, their body language and yet their health began going downhill rapidly during the 3 years after moving out of their family home.

After mom died dad went to the Idaho state veterans home in Boise for 24/7/365 care. He made new friends, had visits from family members and enjoyed activities that helped him pass the time. Dad kept reminding me that he was ready to go when his time came. I told him not so fast, God isn’t done with him yet. Near the end as he became wheelchair bound and/or bedridden and with his COPD he needed oxygen all the time, even when he slept. He was in constant pain and at the ripe old age of 91 he went to sleep on 9 February 2019 and woke up in heaven with mom and Jesus.

Dad used to answer the phone with “Praise the Lord” and was not afraid to tell everyone about “Christ inside, the hope of glory” and ask if they knew Jesus? – RTM