Lessons from Dying
(Part One)
As most of you know I recently had the misfortune of losing my stepfather Dale to liver cancer. He lived almost exactly two years after being diagnosed with the dreaded “C” word. Dale passed away on March 10, 2009.
After being diagnosed with cancer Dale showed very little effects of the cancer for almost a year and half. But during what turned out to be the last few months of his life you could visibly see what the cancer was doing to his body. For me and the rest of the family it was so hard to watch this giant of man (in heart and body) dwindle down to a state where he could no longer get out of bed or even feed himself.
As I write this it is so hard to make myself think about Dale being gone. But he is. And it is hard to think about the dying process that he went through. Not only for him but for mom. My heart still breaks for her.
Over the 45 plus years that he was my stepfather Dale taught me so much about life and living. And I as try to work through all this I realize he taught me a lot of lessons in his dying as well.
He taught me although we don’t welcome death, we don’t have to fear it either.
I learned it is OK to laugh and joke around even when death is just days away.
And that peace really can be found in the middle of the storm.
He taught me dignity is more a state of mind than the state you find your body in.
But mostly I learned that your faith and your family are the most important things when we face the trials of life. And the trials of death.
I learned so much from Dale’s life. But I also learned from his dying.
And I know as I continue to process this, more lessons will surely follow.
(Part One)
As most of you know I recently had the misfortune of losing my stepfather Dale to liver cancer. He lived almost exactly two years after being diagnosed with the dreaded “C” word. Dale passed away on March 10, 2009.
After being diagnosed with cancer Dale showed very little effects of the cancer for almost a year and half. But during what turned out to be the last few months of his life you could visibly see what the cancer was doing to his body. For me and the rest of the family it was so hard to watch this giant of man (in heart and body) dwindle down to a state where he could no longer get out of bed or even feed himself.
As I write this it is so hard to make myself think about Dale being gone. But he is. And it is hard to think about the dying process that he went through. Not only for him but for mom. My heart still breaks for her.
Over the 45 plus years that he was my stepfather Dale taught me so much about life and living. And I as try to work through all this I realize he taught me a lot of lessons in his dying as well.
He taught me although we don’t welcome death, we don’t have to fear it either.
I learned it is OK to laugh and joke around even when death is just days away.
And that peace really can be found in the middle of the storm.
He taught me dignity is more a state of mind than the state you find your body in.
But mostly I learned that your faith and your family are the most important things when we face the trials of life. And the trials of death.
I learned so much from Dale’s life. But I also learned from his dying.
And I know as I continue to process this, more lessons will surely follow.
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