Another loss

First, thank you all so very much for your kind, sweet words about the loss of our dear Bronco doggie. They were such a comfort and I so appreciate the time you took to leave a comment and let me know that you were thinking of me and my family. In that post, I mentioned that my Father-in-Law had just been diagnosed with cancer. Yesterday afternoon, he passed away.

It all happened so quickly. On June 1, he called to tell us that he had cancer. On June 12, the oncologist confirmed that it was Stage 4 and projected 2-3 months. We thought we had all summer to be with him, but that just wasn't the plan. We went to visit him in Utah on June 21, left on Thursday June 27, and just a few days later, July 1, he was gone. His decline was shockingly fast. When we left last Thursday he could still get around with a walker and although he was under heavy pain medication, he was still lucid and could speak with his old sense of humor. In the mere four days that followed, he was rendered unable to walk or speak and his body shut down until he passed peacefully.

One of my favorites. Baby Porter's legacy of good men. My FIL is top right

I don't know whether to be thankful that he didn't have to suffer long (because he was in extreme pain) or frustrated that we didn't have the summer with him that we expected. Maybe it's both. I absolutely believe that his quick passing was part of God's plan. I don't understand it, but I have faith that there was a reason for it. I also believe wholeheartedly that this was why our sweet Bronco went so quickly too--he needed to be there on the other side when my husband's father got there. I don't think it's a coincidence that my FIL went so soon after we left Utah--I think that he saw us all (especially my children) and though we didn't explicitly say 'good-bye' I believe that he knew that we would all be okay and after we left, he was able to let go of this life and move on. It's funny--we had that trip to Utah previously scheduled, before we knew he was sick. We couldn't have timed it more perfectly. Now I don't believe that was a coincidence either.

Papa and Bronco in 2009

I am sad that he's gone. My husband's father was a man of many talents and abilities and I enjoyed spending time with him. He was an accomplished woodworker and could make amazing things out of wood. The wood he preferred to use looked rough and ugly on the outside and full of imperfections. In his hands, he found the beautiful parts inside that wood and made it into something smooth and polished and lovely. Not unlike what God can do with our lives if we let Him.

Papa meets tiny baby Maren for the first time