Ron,

Hi … this is the first chance I’ve had to sit down and drop you a note to say hello, and ask you how your Dad is doing.  I hope he is coming along well.  We really didn’t get a chance to talk about it, so I feel I may say the wrong thing, and I certainly do not want to be insensitive in any way.  I just hope your Dad and you are doing ok.

Unfortunately my Dad passed away last Saturday about 6:00 in the evening.  My sister and I were in the room with him when he took his last breath, and I am happy that we both were there and no one else at that moment.  He wasn’t responsive to anyone from about Wednesday on, but we talked to him as if he could hear, comforted him as much as we could.  We told him to go if he wanted to and to be with our Mom, we had everything taken care of at home and he didn’t have to worry.  He seemed to go easily.  There are those that think he waited until I got there, but I don’t want to put that out there, because we don’t really know.  There could have been many reasons he waited until then, and of course maybe he wanted to take longer and just couldn’t.  I’ll ask him the next time we meet on the other side.

My Sis and I are doing ok ….. we’ve had our battles over the years, but it seems that maybe this time things between us will soften and we will not have another cross word for the balance of our lives.  We have a lot to do, and I don’t want to leave here holding the bag by herself.  I will be here until the end of the month it seems, and hopefully we will get done all that needs to be done.  She can handle phone calls after I leave, but I didn’t want her to have to deal with cleaning up the house, and going through ALL the stuff my Dad has squirreled away over the years.  It’s a daunting task, as he was a Pack Rat in his early days, and has become an UBER Pack Rat in his waning years.  Bottom line we have LOTS to get done before I leave here.

I’m driving his car back to TX, so maybe after I get home, we can go have lunch and share Father stories.  I should be home around the 1^st of the month. Take care ….I truly hope you are doing well, and your Father has a few more years left for both of you.

 

Michael

From: Ron Means [mailto:ron@ithappened2me.com]
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2008 9:08 AM
To: michael (A Friend)

Subject: Re: Your Dad and mine .....

Thanks. They told us he would die about 2 and a half weeks ago and that he would never get out of bed again on his own. They said he should go to Hospice but we, stupid crazy and loving we, listened to Daddy and took him home where he is getting out of the bed ALONE and although his memory is terrible at times and it IS obvious that he IS dying slowly, my dad wants to know where his car keys are just in case he wants to go play checkers or something.  That he is thinking THIS WAY makes me smile because I know he isn't ready to leave us yet.

Personally I believe he is hanging around to VOTE for Obama in November.

Man, I am so happy that although you and I are ALIKE we are UNALIKE too.   I thank you for putting up with me and hope you realize that knowing you are the way you are (crazy as hell just like me) is what gives me hope that everything will be alright in the world no matter what happens with our families and our politics BECAUSE we are friends.  I am Independent and you are obviously straight up Republican and we still click.  WHat's up with THAT?

.Thanks. Call me when you get back. I still owe you lunch at Fogo de Chao..

Ron