In October Grandpa Hatch had a heart attack.. It left him very weak and his health started rapidly declining. He was moved to a care center in Globe where we all hoped he'd recuperate. He improved a little but soon he was moved down to the valley to Banner Baywood hospital and his condition worsened. Knowing his time left here on earth was nearing an end Deke and I tried to go and see him at the hospital as much as we could. We had been talking to the kids a lot trying to help prepare them for the loss. He has been a very active great grandpa in their life and they are all very close to him and grandma. We decided to take the kids to the hospital to see him and essentially say their goodbyes to him while he was still aware enough to know they were there. Even though he couldn't really talk at that point and was very weak, as soon as the kids walked in he started reaching for them, I could tell he wanted to hold Hudson. His eyes lit up as the kids started talking to him and hugging him. We had been sitting in there visiting when he leaned over to Lisa and quietly said, "I wanna go." The spirit was so strong and we all knew that he was ready and was trying to prepare us that it was close. I started to cry and looked over to see tears streaming down my kids faces. Deke and I walked out into the hall with them and held them as they cried. It was so tender. We headed back inside and let each of the kids hug and kiss him and say their goodbyes. As we drove home we talked about heaven and knowing that we would see him again. Even though we have know for a few years now that the cancer would take him he had been doing so well that it was hard to have it all happen so fast. We had just been up north fishing with him in August and now we had only days. Loss is so hard. I am so grateful that we lived close enough that we could spend those days with him while he was in the hospital. Grateful for the tender mercies of Heavenly Father allowing our children to be able to say their goodbyes in a way that was peaceful even though it was hard. Grateful for the extra time that he was given to watch grandkids and great grandkids grow.
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When I brought Rondalynn up to see him for the first time at Banner Baywood his eyes just lite up and sparkled like they always did when his grandchildren and great grandchildren were around. She was so sweet and gentle with him like she knew and started blowing him kisses right away and lovingly patted the top of his head. It was at this point that all the will power I was putting into not breaking down and sobbing just from coming in and seeing him lay there unlike the vibrant active man he always was completely vanished and I had to escape to the hallway to compose myself. When I came back in Rondalynn reached right for me and as I was holding her she kept reaching for Papa and so we went over there and she blew him more kisses and patted his head then laid her head on my shoulder like she was trying to not only tell him goodbye but was trying to comfort me as well. I will never be able to describe the spirit in the room at that moment but I'm thankful we were able to have this moment and even though she is so little she still got to say goodbye.
That was such a special night. The spirit was so strong. I miss him tons.
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