With Sadness

It is with sadness that I write this post to tell you that my dear elderly father-in-law, who has been under my and my husband's care for the last six years, has passed away this morning at 87 years old. Having suffered a severe stroke over a decade ago that left him in need of assistance with his daily life, my husband and I took him into our home and under our care when my mother-in-law passed away in late 2006. We expanded our home to include a bedroom and bathroom for him on the first floor [more about my father-in-law in our home here] and then three years later he suffered another minor stroke that left him more dependent than ever where he could no longer be left alone without supervision. My husband and I have been his full time caregiver pretty much every day, around the clock for the last six years. It has been very challenging to provide this kind of around the clock care for an elderly parent-- requiring personal and familial sacrifices and more patience than you can fathom. In that same breath, however, I will say that it has been an honor to have shared the role of care giver to this man who has lived his entire life with immense kindness, generosity and unconditional love towards other people--especially those lucky enough to be counted among his loved ones. He will be greatly missed.