Never be afraid to stand with the minority when the minority is right, for the minority which is right will one day be the majority. - William Jennings Bryan

Saturday, August 13, 2005

To Touch the Face of God


At 11:30 pm, on Friday, August 12th, 2005, my grandfather, Newland M. Daugherty, left this world to go home to the next life. He was 84, and died at the James H. Quillen Veterans Administration Hospital, in Johnson City, Tennessee.

We buried my Aunt Faye at 2:00 pm today, and immediatley went to the Veteran's Hospital. At 11:25 pm, I went to the bathroom. My parents had went out at 11:23 pm or so to smoke. Kayla, my sister, didn't want to be left in the waiting room alone, so she walked up the hall, too. At 11:28 pm, I came out of the bathroom, and Kayla was standing beside Papaw's door, and told me she had just looked in to see how he was. She said he didn't look any different than he had when we had last been in. No sooner did we sit down in the waiting room did a nurse, teary eyes and frowning, come to ask us where our parents were. Kayla immediatley burst out crying, and I knew what was happening. We ran without stopping through the hospital until we found them, and we all jogged back to the room (my mom is short and heavy, so it was hard for her to jog, but she did it). I kept Kayla from going in the room. I heard my Mom cry out, and my dad came out the room, teary eyed and said "Your Papaw isn't suffering anymore."

Well, I had promised myself I wouldn't cry, because I had sort of braced myself for it, and I knew he was ready to go. But that promise went out the window then and there. I couldn't hold back the flood gates. My heart has never hurt more in my life.

My sister, mother and father, all crying and holding on to each other, headed up the hall, to sign some papers that needed signing. But I couldn't leave without a final goodbye. I had told him I loved him a few days ago when he was talking, and he said "I love you too, son." And I told him tonight I loved him, and saw a flicker of recognition in his eyes. But I did go in there, and he looked so serene and...out of pain.

I know now he's holding hands with his beloved Wilma (gone ten years next month) and is with his favorite daughter, Faye, and his mother and father, and the rest of his family that he had missed, and he's finally at peace, home.

I love you Papaw.

-Neal

P.S.-My mother is taking all of this harder than anyone, since she had lost both her oldest sister and her father within a week. Please keep her (and all of us), in your prayers.

6 comments:

fpotusahuss20321979 said...

Hi Neal. This is Scot from the Politics1.com blogs. I go by fpotusahuss20321979-Scot. I just would like to ask you something and i need to know if i could borrow your email. Email me back at scothuss79@yahoo.com or scottieboy19791998@hotmail.com. Im glad your a Dem and the right type of Dem, moderate/liberal progressive , and i'd like to ask you if you would join me in a venture. I would appreciate having you as i need young people to do this for its a venture for the future when i finish publishing what im going to publish with 2 political books. Get back with me soon neal :-).

Scot from politics1 blogs

fpotusahuss20321979 said...

Oh, and Neal, my blog site is at http://news88.blogspot.com but right now i wont be having anything political related because right now until January 2006, i have it on hiatus but i am still publishing a Full House (the abc show from 1987-1995) episode a day. i am in the process by january 2006 of getting an interactive .com blog site and interactive .com chat site launched to go with and for my future venture (which ill explain to you when you email me if you would like to be a part of it.)

Cheers,
Scot

P.S. Hope to talk to you by email soon. :)

Anonymous said...

I wish your entire family well. Maura said it well, that was beautiful.

Anonymous said...

Hi Neal, I found your site via swva.news.com. I must say I'm impressed with your awareness...of politics and human relations. You don't see many high schoolers blogging like this. Way to go. And heartfelt condolences as well on the loss of your grandfather.

Justin said...

Neal,
I am deeply sorry for the losses your family has endured over the past week. I didn't know Aunt Faye, but I'm sure she was a sweet caring individual. Papaw was an amazing man. He had a smile that warmed your heart. I remember walking into your house one day during our 11th Grade year and he was sitting there in the recliner. I will always remember that image and the person forever. God bless!

Ben Kyber said...

My condolences, Neal. Hang in there man. Your family is in my prayers.