"I Have Fought a Good Fight"

I wish there was a handbook to follow when someone dies that has been such an influence for good in your life. Sometimes I think I'm having an "out of body" experience and that time stood still for a week and now it's spinning out of control. This morning we went to the mortuary to make the final arrangements for Dad's viewing and funeral next week. My Mom isn't herself and I think she is still in shock, denial, and just plain old heartbroken. Last night when I made my final call to her I asked  how she was doing. I said, "Mom, aren't you relieved that Dad went so fast and is out of pain?" She answered with a soft, "yes, I'm glad he's out of pain but I sure miss my little fellow." It hit me just how devastated she really is. She has been his caretaker for sixty-four years now, feeding him, showering and dressing him and even watching the Diamondbacks games religiously with him. Now she is alone in the house they have been in since 1956. We have offered to have her come live with one of us, and she still may end up over here, but for now she is staying where she is reminded all the time that Dad isn't coming home. When I left Hospice yesterday, a thought kept coming in to my mind. It was driving me crazy that I couldn't find it in my scriptures. So finally this morning early when I woke up, I looked in the Topical Guide of the Bible and found it in 2 Timothy 4:7. It says "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." When Kamber passed away I kept saying, "I can do hard things" over and over in my mind. Now seven years down the road my new motto is "I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith." That will keep my Dad's memory alive for me for a long, long, time.