A Goodbye Note

Yesterday Steve spent most of the day asleep. He was unusually weak and walked very little. This morning I awoke at 6:30 and I went to check on him. He was near the bedroom door lying face down on the floor. As I turned him over he said, "You shouldn't park a human being like this." I told him he must have fallen. He said, "Oh. Am I supposed to be standing up?"

I gave him his medicines, fed him through his feeding tube, and scooted him over to the bed. He was able to help enough to get him back in bed. As he sat on the edge of the bed, he looked right in my eyes and said, "I don't know what this is. I don't know what this is."
"You're dying Steve."
"I'm dying?
"Yes."
"I've got to tell my momma and daddy goodbye."

"O.K."

"They're good people."

"Yes they are. Pere-Pere is in heaven.  Do you want me to call Maw-Maw? "

"Yes. I need to leave her a goodbye note. A goodbye, hello note." And he lay back in bed.

He was then quiet for a while, so I asked him, "Steve, what are you thinking about?" He said, "How much I love Jesus and how much I love God." He asked, "How much time do I have?" I told him, "I don't know when you will die, Steve."

I tried numerous times to call Maw-Maw before she was finally able to call me back. In the mean time I had leaned over Steve and said in his ear, "I love you Steve. This is Robbie, your bride." He replied, "I love you. Forgive me for being a fool. Forgive me for being a fool."

"I forgive you Steve. I forgive you. I love you." Thus starts my day.