Grandpa Johnson (Bruce Johnson) had an accident Monday evening - he fell down a flight of stairs and was hurt very badly. His brain bled on both sides and after a trip to Calgary it was determined that the damage was inoperable. This has left Grandpa in a coma with no brain activity. Consequently we are preparing to say goodbye to Grandpa as he will be returning to our Father in Heaven very soon.
The picture above is Grandpa and Rhett at Christmas time....they had a great time just chilling with each other and the July long weekend when we visited with them Rhett had a blast pulling things out of boxes and bringing them to Grandpa for inspection.
As someone who has married into this family I still feel that I can say that Grandpa is my grandpa to. From the very beginning he and Grandma welcomed me into the family and made me feel like one of theirs. This past visit when I told him how much we missed them and being home in southern Alberta he gave me a big hug and told me that they had three extra beds that we were welcomed to! Even though I know he was teasing it means so much to me now....that last visit will always be something that I cherish and remember.
To me Grandpa was the best example of what a Grandpa should be. Kind, loving, forgiving, watchful, prayerful, and steady. Plus he gave some of the best hugs I've ever had.
As the time approaches that we have to say goodbye to Grandpa - at least for this life - I am so grateful for the gospel and for our Father's plan and eternal families. I know that we will see Grandpa again and that I will once again be the recipient of those fantastic hugs.
I've lost 2 grandparents in my lifetime - both when I was relatively young....and I have an idea of the loss and the grief process that we will go through. This time I have the added the dimension of being a mother and it absolutely breaks my heart thinking of explaining to my children the concept of death. How do you make a 4 year old understand that this wonderful person in their life that they are just beginning to remember between visits is no longer in this world with us? How do you make them understand that we bury bodies because there is no longer a spirit living in the body....I know....you just tell them. But how do you do it without traumatizing them?
I've been trying to prepare Zane a little by reviewing the basics of the plan of salvation with and when I explained that our bodies have a spirit inside and that when we get old our spirit will go and live in Heaven with Heavenly Father and Jesus again his little eyes welled up with tears and he said "but mommy I will miss my body!" I assured him that he wouldn't be leaving his body for a long long long time and that seemed to help but I am worried about what he is going to take from this. Have we taught him well enough? Will his spirit understand at the adult level and somehow communicate to his brain that all is well? I wish I had the answers and pray that Heavenly Father will give us His spirit to be with us as we go through these next weeks and months.
When I started this blog we were waiting....we are waiting no more. Grandpa has passed away and I am sure that he has been welcomed by open loving arms of family and friends who have gone before him. He will be greatly missed. We love you Grandpa.
