The phone rang, I immediately picked up and heard my daughter Mandy’s voice on the other end. “Mom, Pappa just passed away. I’m so sorry Mom.” She cried and so did I. Jamie, who lost his father six months ago, listened as I talked with her. She, together with other family members, sat with Dad yesterday for hours. It seemed he would linger another day or two so everyone went home to rest only to find out that an hour later he passed away.
It was 2:30 in the morning when my phone rang. Most of the time, I keep my phone on “do not disturb” during the night. But, I have turned the ringer on for the past few nights. I’ve been anticipating the coming of tomorrow. I’ve been stirring and checking my messages even without the phone ringing. The night before I woke every hour to check for news.
Hospice was there until tomorrow came
Hospice nurses have told me that it seems people in such situations often choose when to die. Some prefer to be surrounded by people and others want to be alone. I think Dad preferred not to be fussed over. He was always that way, never one to ask for anything or expect anything.
Yesterday, earlier in the day, I spoke with him via video while Mandy was there. Because I’m of Finnish descent, I used Finnish. I’m very rusty with the language because I don’t have many to speak with in Finnish besides my father. And everything I said came out fluently. Speaking as easily as I did made me feel as if I were stepping back in time to when I was a little girl. All we used at home back then was Finnish. Those days are long gone but but not forgotten.
Calling Eskimo
My father’s name is Esko Hulkkonen. One of my earliest childhood memories is hearing a story about when we lived in New York. He had a letter delivered to him; it was addressed to “Eskimo.” I can’t count the number of times we’ve laughed over the years about that letter. When I heard this news this morning, I immediately thought of an angel standing at the gate calling, “Eskimo! Are you here? Oh, sorry, I mean Esko.”
So it was this morning when tomorrow came. We had been praying, because his illness was prolonged and he was suffering, that God would call his name. And so He did. This morning the Father called out for Esko and he replied, “I’m here.”
1 Corinthians 15:54,55 NET "Now when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will happen, Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
The hospice agency that served my father is called “Trust Bridge.” They do the work of angels, I’m so grateful for their service.
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