It had now been a month since the accident. Dad asked about David’s progress all the time. Sometimes, while David slept, I would walk around the Hospital praying to Saint Therese of Lisieux the Little Flower for her constant intercession for David and dad. I was definitely running on Dunkin coffee. I counted 8 cups of coffee one day. Leaving the beeping sounds behind, the Hospitals’ small garden provided different scenery, which offered at the same time some mental rest. At this time, I would connect with my sisters and my father and would listen to all the details from back home. As dad left Winter Park hospital, he was discharged to receive assistance from Hospice at home. His health condition continued to deteriorate. He was dependent on oxygen, and unable to do most ordinary tasks. My sisters attended to him and spoiled him as much as they knew how. Brother in law Hector would take him for walks in his wheel chair and a fresh brewed cup of coffee.
Gaby drove to Miami on the 9th of June and decided that I would take the night off, sent me out to my Aunt Flor’s house and she stayed with David. She recorded every detail in the journal all night long and head back home to care for dad the following day along with my other sisters Lucy and Noemy. The evening she arrived, dad became very lethargic and after episodes of what was later believed were mini strokes, prompted my sisters to call me and suggested we quickly drove home because dad was dying. There was a long moment of disbelief in my mind. I asked God to allow me to speak to my father and tell him how much I had always loved him. If he could just wait for me to get there, I thought. Mom and I drove and recited the “Memorare” prayer the entire trip to Casselberry and arrived at 2:30am.
As I flew to open the front door, we found my sisters sleeping on the floor of the living room next to dad’s hospital bed. With the noise, they woke up and explained how moments earlier, each one was crying and saying their “goodbyes” when all of a sudden dad looked at them and wondered why they were crying because he wasn’t dying. We laughed together and a big weight was lifted off my shoulders. I was so happy to see him after being away for so long.
The next day we helped dad into the van and drove to Bubbalous for his favorite Bar-B-Q treats and afterwards went for some Cold Stone ice cream. He had a blast. I loved seeing him smile again. He was in heaven with all his daughters together. To top it all off on Saturday evening, after 2 decades of separation, dad proposed to mom over a glass of white wine.
Before leaving back to Miami on Sunday morning I said every word of encouragement I could think of to dad so that he would work hard at getting better. I promised dad I would tell David that he kept with him the wooden rosary David had given him the year before. As I told him I would be back soon to see him, he looked straight at me and simply said that my place was with David, to go in peace and to tell David that he loved him very much. I insisted for him to fight back to health, gave him a big kiss, a big hug and said goodbye.
We activate many saints to intercede for us in prayer every day. Intercession is a prayer of petition, which leads us to pray as Jesus did. (CCC 2634) Since Abraham, intercession – asking on behalf of another has been characteristic of a heart attuned to God’s mercy. (CCC 2635)
*CCC = Catechism of the Catholic Church
(1 Timothy 2:1; Revelation 8:3)
Gaby drove to Miami on the 9th of June and decided that I would take the night off, sent me out to my Aunt Flor’s house and she stayed with David. She recorded every detail in the journal all night long and head back home to care for dad the following day along with my other sisters Lucy and Noemy. The evening she arrived, dad became very lethargic and after episodes of what was later believed were mini strokes, prompted my sisters to call me and suggested we quickly drove home because dad was dying. There was a long moment of disbelief in my mind. I asked God to allow me to speak to my father and tell him how much I had always loved him. If he could just wait for me to get there, I thought. Mom and I drove and recited the “Memorare” prayer the entire trip to Casselberry and arrived at 2:30am.
As I flew to open the front door, we found my sisters sleeping on the floor of the living room next to dad’s hospital bed. With the noise, they woke up and explained how moments earlier, each one was crying and saying their “goodbyes” when all of a sudden dad looked at them and wondered why they were crying because he wasn’t dying. We laughed together and a big weight was lifted off my shoulders. I was so happy to see him after being away for so long.
The next day we helped dad into the van and drove to Bubbalous for his favorite Bar-B-Q treats and afterwards went for some Cold Stone ice cream. He had a blast. I loved seeing him smile again. He was in heaven with all his daughters together. To top it all off on Saturday evening, after 2 decades of separation, dad proposed to mom over a glass of white wine.
Before leaving back to Miami on Sunday morning I said every word of encouragement I could think of to dad so that he would work hard at getting better. I promised dad I would tell David that he kept with him the wooden rosary David had given him the year before. As I told him I would be back soon to see him, he looked straight at me and simply said that my place was with David, to go in peace and to tell David that he loved him very much. I insisted for him to fight back to health, gave him a big kiss, a big hug and said goodbye.
We activate many saints to intercede for us in prayer every day. Intercession is a prayer of petition, which leads us to pray as Jesus did. (CCC 2634) Since Abraham, intercession – asking on behalf of another has been characteristic of a heart attuned to God’s mercy. (CCC 2635)
*CCC = Catechism of the Catholic Church
(1 Timothy 2:1; Revelation 8:3)
