7. “Just Part of the Race”

My dad died 8 years ago from bone cancer, and that’s one of those painful diseases, but he always stayed strong and in a good mood.

He always used to say that life is a race, and problems are nothing but obstacles.

One night, my mom received a phone call saying that he was getting worse and worse as hours passed. My mom took my sisters and me to the hospital immediately, and we saw him getting into the ICU.

His last words were, “I’ll be fine, this is just part of the race, remember?”

He was a warrior, the strongest person I’ve known and will ever know.

8. Dad

”Take good care of the kids. I love you.”

Those were my dad’s last words before he died 12 years ago.

Heart Attack.

He was 48.

9. “It’s so cold.”

As an RN, I had an old Jewish woman who was dying. None of her children had come to see her.

I stayed at her side, and she suddenly looked at me and said, “It’s so cold, Mama! Hold me! It’s so cold.”

I didn’t know what else to do for her, so I sat on the bed and took her into my arms and held her until she passed away.

Her children were angry, because we called them in the night and woke them up to tell them their mother had died.

I could not believe their heartlessness and lack of love.

10. No Return

My mom’s last words were, “I’ll be right back.”

11. New Words

My grandfather died suddenly in my arms.

He screamed, “FUCK. SHIT. I DON’T WANT TO DIE!”

He didn’t curse like that, ever.

Then he got very quiet, lips blue, and turned towards me, eyes huge with terror, and reached towards my face before he seized and his eyes glazed over.

12. “It’s coming…”

I had a DNR resident who was not doing well.

I went in to check on her.

She just looked at me and said, “It’s time to go. You need to help me get there.”

I told her that wasn’t within my power.

She replied, “It’s coming, no matter if you help or not.”

She died two days later.