My grandfather's suffering came to an end yesterday. I am deeply saddened and filled with mixed feelings. I know he is in heaven, and now happy, healthy and whole, but selfishly, those of us who loved Denny have been left behind. Even though we know he was in pain, some of us still aren't quite ready to let go. His death was not unexpected, but no death is ever well timed or welcome. God has promised to turn my mourning into dancing, but for now, it is difficult to not be sad. I am glad to have had the 2 weeks I had with him while he was of sound mind and I'm grateful for the conversations we were able to have. Noah decided that he must already be eating his favorite foods again (his favorite activity!), maybe served by another 34 year old named Amy or maybe the food is just magically appearing in front of him. Kids are great, aren't they? We think that he's probably boogying up a storm because he'd been confined to a wheelchair in the past weeks after his legs gave out, and he certainly must also be enjoying some time on the water, as he hasn't been out on a boat in quite a while, either. It was supposed to rain and storm all day yesterday, but right after we got the phone call from Mom, the sun peeked out from all the storm clouds. We think that was Denny letting us know he's okay and that he wants us to be okay, too. I can still see him trying to salvage my grandmother's old porch chairs with his macrame, I can hear him say "Hellll-O beautiful!" when I walk into the room and I can feel him holding my hand, then kissing it. I am grateful for the 26 years we had Denny.
Please look up Denny's obituary here:
http://knox.villagesoup.com/people/announcement/obituaries/dennis-pires/388333?cid=95078
I would like to thank Denny's family for including my grandmother as one of his survivors. Many thanks to them also for taking her sense of propriety into consideration and listing her as Denny's "special friend," so people would not be confused and think they ever lived together (I love my grandmother, she cracks me up!).
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| Matinicus Rock |
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| Meeting Noah for the first time |
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| Playing with Noah |
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| Denny and Noah |
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| Great Nanny, Denny and Noah |
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| Nanny and Denny |
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Nan and Den after he was admitted to
the nursing home |
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| Denny, meet Dennis Avery! |
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| Dancing with his namesake |
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Extended Family
Johnston-Pires-Furr |
I miss you, Denny. Thank you for the memories and all the love you've given us.
We won't forget you.
I am so sorry for your loss. May the Lord bless and comfort you during this difficult time. May He give you warm feelings, wonderful memories and peace in your heart, now and always. Your grandfather sounds like a wonderful man, who will now be an angel watching over you, easing your pain and helping you get through the hard days.
ReplyDeleteAll my best to you -- Jodi Brown
www.lifeconstructionzone.com
Thank you, Jodi. I saw your comment come in a few days ago, but I haven't been able to come back to this post until now. Some days are easier than others! God is definitely giving us comfort right now. I talked with Noah tonight and I thanked him for his prayer over Denny when we got up to Maine. I truly believe that God heard us crying out, saw our love for this man and that it was Noah's prayer that gave us those two extra weeks with him. I'm still looking for peace--I know it may be months before I find it, and I know the grief will hit again next time we visit Maine. It is a comfort that he is no longer in pain and I know that he wouldn't want us to mourn him, but to celebrate his life, so we're trying. Thank you for your words of comfort!
ReplyDeletePS--is there a way I can contact you privately for an update on your nephew?