Onward…

Family photo taken during a family gathering in 2013

On the evening of October 6, 2025, my father took his last breath. His 95-year life had come to an end. My eight siblings and I gathered at his apartment and shared memories together. We had a toast to our parents and talked about the journey we had shared with Dad following our Mom’s passing in April 2018.

Among the grief, there was also a deep feeling of gratitude.  We understood that each one of us had stepped up and helped Dad navigate life after losing his wife of 63 years.

Along the way we helped Dad live his life to the fullest. All of us, along with our spouses and children, unselfishly shared time, care, and companionship with Dad. By filling those seven years with simple drop-in visits, jaunts to grandkid’s sporting events, and taking Dad fishing, everyone showed their love and support.

Our crew kept him active and engaged. We offered assurance and were with him during medical struggles. At times, we took turns staying with him if he needed 24-hour help. To our amazement, his determination and courage pulled him through time and time again. He would recover to the point where he would finally tell us, “I don’t need anyone here babysitting me!”

During this period, my siblings and I used a group text to keep updated on Dad’s status. Many of the texts ended with a single word of encouragement: Onward.

That word was also a reminder of the reality we were living in. Life was moving onward. Dad’s life, and our lives too.

Onward became the theme of the journey. It inspired us over the bumps in the road and reminded us that our time with Dad was approaching an end. Those years gave each of us an opportunity to repay Dad for the lifetime of love and care that he and Mom gave us. All of us felt blessed to share time with him, and it gave us a clear understanding of the faith, determination, and courage that were foundations of our Dad’s life over the past 95 years.

I am forever grateful for all my magnificent brothers and sisters, and for everything they did while caring for both of my parents. With help from the nine of us, Dad was able to live independently until June of this year.

Onward.

With Dad’s passing, my siblings and I now move on. We were blessed with wonderful parents, and their love was unconditional. Although they have passed, their memories and examples will continue to guide our lives.

It is time to slow down, take a breath, and just feel. We pause, look behind us, then continue forward. Along the way, we try to remember the words of another familiar voice from the special childhood we shared together:

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”  - Dr. Seuss

Onward.