Eulogy For My Father

I thought I would get used to it. Maybe feel some callousness to it. Walking into the building and being directed to the viewing hall. Walking to the front of the room and seeing a loved one lying in a casket. I have seen a cousin, grandparents, uncles and friends within the last five years or so pass away. These past few months I have had to come to grips that I will again face death. My dad is dying! Twenty-four years ago my father suffered a near fatal stroke. The years following have been dealt with his heath declining and new issues he's faced including COPD and congestive heart failure. He has had a portable defibrillator installed in him in the event his heart stops. As I write this, he has been ordered to start hospice and is functioning on 30 percent of his heart. In preparing for the inevitable day, my mother and sisters have made arrangements such as the funeral hall, the service and procession. I also have had to come to grips that I am my father's only son. I have already decided that I will be one of his pall bearers and will likely give his eulogy. My brain has been running miles with memories, family events and words of what I will say about my father. Do I speak candidly about his past? Do I mention how his life changed after his stroke? Where do the lessons in life I learned from him come into play? What do I say about the man I have called dad for the past thirty-five years of my life? Most people who see my father are caught off guard with his appeara...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news