Grey's Anatomy and Memories

I have to start this out by saying how much I love, love, love Grey's Anatomy and how real it can be. Tonights episode validated that and I know that it is only a tv show but wow!!

Tonight George lost his father and at the end he says "I don't know how to exist without my Father." I know that all to well and the whole scenario was well done. I remembered tonight clearly what it was like that night saying 'Good bye' to my hero, my rock, my Dad.

It was such a heartwrenching time but one that I would never trade. It was such a peaceful time as well knowing Dad was going home to be with God, a God that he never acknowledged wholeheartedly as we were growing up but one he yearned to communicate with and accept and it was a turning point for him.

Tonight they showed the family gathering around their rock and staying with him as he passed away. Michele, Pastor Zach, Pastor Fred and myself were with Dad as he passed away. We told Dad it was okay, that we would make sure Mom was taken care of and that we would look out for her and each other. That we loved him and knew that no matter what he would always be with us and as he said to us "You can always talk to me and i'll be there." So many times since he's passed away each of us at different times have smelled pipe smoke. Now i'm not talking about being in a place where someone could have been smoking one. In one instance was Hal and I travelling to Kamloops and the weather was a little scary and out of no where we both smelled pipe smoke. I asked Hal if he smelled anything and he said that he smelled Dad's pipe. We knew then that he was with us.

Some of you may think it's silly and wishful thinking but in my heart it's Dad....he's there.

The final scene was George walking woodenly out of his Dad's hospital room and you could see that his friends were unsure what to do, what to say. That is what it was like. It was slow motion but so fast. It was a blur but those memories are there. I remember the look friends gave and the uncomfortableness for them. It's like people are thinking "I want to hug them but how will they respond? Will they push me away, be angry? Will they cry Do I want to?"

As someone who's been there all I can say is if someone were to be in those shoes now I would have no problem giving them a hug and knowing that no matter what the reaction was it's all natural and sometimes that hug is just what they need whether it's what makes them cry or give them an outlet to scream and yell.

Death is never easy and neither is living at times. I see how us as a family have worked through the grief and at times when that infinite sadness hits it's usually because you really miss what you had but then you appreciate just how fortunate you were to have had that at all. There are many in this world who have far less and live far worse lives. Be thankful, be appreciative, be compassionate and just be!

Hugs, Hope and Love,
Pen