A lesson in tenderness and unfailing devotion

On Saturday my mom emailed with news that Grandpa1i was moved from his home to hospice.


Exactly one week earlier Matt had received a call from his dad saying that his grandfather had passed away. We told the girls the news and traveled as a family for Great Grandpa Art's wake and funeral in Chicago. Coryn was confused to see Grandpa lying in the casket at the funeral home. She thought perhaps the funeral home was heaven. Are we in heaven?, she asked. Jo explained to her that you don't take your body with you when you go to heaven.

Wednesday evening family and friends joined together to look at old photographs and recall memories of Art Glafcke. He was a WWII veteran. He was a carpenter for the Board of Education. He was a father to four children. He was a devoted husband. He was a man of few words.

At the funeral Mass on Thursday Aunt Peggy recounted one of her earliest memories of her dad carrying her when she was sick as a young child. And later, a trip to Florida and the happy sight of her parents walking down the beach hand in hand.

Matt's Dad told a story about his father's faith and how he painstakingly worked in the evenings and on weekends to craft the altar for their parish. He also related how his father loved to fish, but put that hobby on hold as a young father to be present and attentive to his wife and children.

At the cemetery Marines in uniform assisted with the burial ceremony. Two of the Marines held a flag over Grandpa's casket while the third played Taps. He was laid to rest next to his wife, Loretta.


Today while Coryn and Josephine were at school, Mallory and I went to visit Grandma Jo and Grandpa1i. When we walked into Grandpa's room, Grandma was helping Grandpa with breakfast.

Four days earlier Grandpa was able to walk and carry on a conversation.
Today Grandpa was very, very weak.
His hands weren't working well enough for him to hold the piece of bacon.
Grandma spooned peaches into his mouth.
She spread jam on a slice of toast and held it up to his mouth so he could take a few bites.
She went out of the room to get him a fresh cup of ice water.

Grandpa was dozing off and on, but at the sound of Grandma's voice his eyes would flicker open.
She tried to ask him questions, do you want to eat more of this or that?
But Grandpa was so weak his reply was garbled, indeciferable or completely inaudible.

With tears in her eyes, Grandma says, I didn't know it would go like this.

She reached out and squeezed Grandpa's hand.
She leaned over and gave him a kiss.
She turned to me and smiled,
He still kisses me. I have him trained.

Underneathe all the suffering, she found the man she loves.