Paw-Paw Dalt

Paw-Paw Dalt passed away yesterday afternoon around 4:30. Momma, Daddy, Lady, Pat, Mike and Ruth were all there when he went. Lady said she couldn't have planned it better. He was 90 years old this past Monday (the 19th). He had been put in ICU two weeks ago from the nursing home for pneumonia. When I was home that weekend he coded twice; once on Saturday and once on Sunday, both times because he quit breathing. He was put on a ventilator and never got better. I'm so glad he didn't suffer any longer. I'm also so relieved that they finally decided to make him a no code. This has really reinforeced talks within my family of our wishes for life support or not if something happens to us. It's so imperative that people get their wishes down BEFORE something happens to them. It's such a hard decision for the family to have to make.

The funeral home in Amory already has two bodies in it, so they weren't going until today at 1 to make arrangements. With Aunt Myra coming in from Ohio, the visitation won't be until Sunday; she wanted to make sure she was there for that. The funeral will be Monday afternoon. I hope this time since it's Dalt that all of Aunt Shelba's and Aunt Janice's white trash crew won't show up. After Maw-Maw's funeral last summer, we all hoped we wouldn't have to see them again. I know that sounds terrible, but you don't know these folks. I'll spare the details, but lets just say things were stolen from family member's homes in which they were staying and plus there were across state lines illegally to be there in the first place.

Despite my relationship with Dalt over the years, I am saddened by his death. I'm so thankful that we did build some kind of relationship during my college years and after. It would have been nice to have known him better as a child, but I always said Grandpa had enough love for me to make up for what Dalt didn't have. I credit William for making me see that Dalt had calmed down and changed as he got older and that it would be all my fault if I never gave him a chance. I'm so glad I listened to him. He was still my grandfather and I love him and will miss him.