Yesterday I posted about fear.
Today my brother realized one of those fears. His son passed away this afternoon.
My nephew was 31 years old, the father of 3 gorgeous children, and husband of an amazing wife. He served his country in the Army where he was exposed to something that somehow affected his liver. He fought liver cancer and won the battle, celebrating just over a year cancer free. But his liver never recovered and led to a miserable, slow death. This summer he spent most of his time hospitalized, the majority of it in ICU. Being air lifted between our state here in the south, and NYC where his specialist is located. He passed away in the ICU in NYC with his wife, mother and children by his side.
My brother was driving up to be with him when he got the call it was almost over. He turned around and came back towards our state. He wouldn’t make it in time to say good-bye to his son.
I can’t imagine how he feels. What is going through his mind.
I hope I never know how he feels.
Children are not supposed to die before their parents. Sometimes it happens.
I know we are supposed to rejoice when a loved one passes, they are in a better place after all. But it is hard to rejoice when it hurts so bad.
I pray for my brother, his wife, his daughter in law and her precious children. I pray that God will wrap them in his everlasting arms, envelop them with his strength and grace. I pray they will remember my nephew as he was before his illness. I pray his children will always know him, and know he loved them dearly. They were the lights of his life.
I pray I never have to realize this fear.
