Going to See Mother

Grandpa A.Y.* is dying--maybe tonight. I have driven him, his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren around Ohio for the last three+ years. Grandpa's wife of 62 years passed away just over a year ago.

The last time I drove Grandpa A.Y. was on a trip home from Michigan. He sat up front, across the van from me. Someone in the back of the van started singing, and before long everyone had joined in. Some of the choruses were in English, so I got to join in on "Amazing Grace" and a few other selections. Grandpa looks frail, and his shoulders bend forward when he walks. But, his baritone voice was strong in the van that day.

We stopped at the Toledo Zoo on the way home. A.Y.'s daughter and son-in-law pushed him around the zoo in a wheelchair. It was a gorgeous day for going to the zoo. Grandpa was elated! He was the last one to get dropped off that night. On the thirty-some miles from his daughter's house to his own home, Grandpa recalled how much he enjoyed going on trips with "Mother" and how when they got home after a trip, they would spend time talking about the trip. I didn't know what to say. I asked him what kinds of things they talked about. "All of it," he replied. Everything. The people they spoke to, the stories they heard, the sites they saw. Grandpa sighed. Now he had to go home to an empty house. No Mother to talk to. He missed her so bad!

Perhaps Grandpa A.Y. will get to see Mother this night. Or in the morning. What a time they will have reminiscing about their journeys! Please keep their family in your prayers. Many are traveling from out of state this evening, and more will be coming in the next few days. A.Y. is 80+ years old, and he wants to go home. But he will be missed!

*Initials are used to protect the privacy of this Amish man and his family.