Prayers for my Dad

[Mosbonian]

As all of you who have been around ChiefsPlanet know, I have spent the last few years rebuilding my relationship with my Father. Without recounting the whole story, we drifted apart because of philosophical differences, and after many years of stilted conversations we came to terms with each other.

The last few years have been nice....while we don't live close, we talk by phone each week. When my wife would go home on school breaks to visit her family she made sure my Father go to see the kids.

Dad's health has not been good for some time, (partly the reason for us coming to terms with each other) and has gradually gotten a little worse each year.

This past weekend I came home to Kansas City to visit him....he had asked me to come for a visit. I was pretty sure I knew why he wanted to see me, but was hoping that it was just because I hadn't been back in a year.

My Father and I had breakfast on Friday and he broke the news I have dreaded hearing. There is no more that the Dr's can do for him and they have given him a timetable...a short one...and he wanted to see all of us one last time, while not lying in a hospital room. While knowing, due to his condition, that this was inevitable, it still hurt badly. I tried not to cry, not to embarass him, but I couldn't help myself. Something about the finality of it all hit me hard enough that the ability to remain strong was no longer there.

We spent a couple of hours talking about things...both past and present...and parted with something my Father has never done...a hug.

I would like to ask for your thoughts and prayers for my Dad, a life-long Chiefs fan as he faces his final days here.

Thank you,

Mark